Characterization of broad-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae obtained from hospital food served to patients

• Grant number: 23/02642-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: August 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Tiago Casella
• Grantee: Vitória Gabriela Tosta Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Members of the Enterobacteriaceae family are Gram-negative bacteria widely distributed, and colonize mucous surfaces of animals and humans. Therefore, they are very associated with infections and found as contaminant of food and animal foods. Because of inadequate use of broad-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC), isolation of strains resistant to such antimicrobials has exponentially increased. This has been not only due to the selection of strains, but also due to the horizontal transmission of mobile genetic elements containing resistance genes between bacteria in different niches. As this spread is based on specific lineages, it is important to know those associated with antimicrobial resistance circulating in institutions for health assistance and food, which will allow future strategies to reduce its progress. Therefore, the present study proposes to characterize 48 isolates of ESC-resistant Enterobacteriaceae obtained from ready-to-eat vegetables or meats served to patients admitted to a tertiary-care hospital in the state of São Paulo. These isolates are part of our bacteria bank, and comprise 23 Klebsiella spp., 21 Enterobacter spp. and 4 Escherichia coli. The isolates will be subjected to the antimicrobial susceptibility test and the search for the main ESC resistance genes, and the similarity (considering each species) by genomic restriction with XbaI followed by pulsed field electrophoresis (PFGE) will be determined, as well as their sequence type (ST). At the end of the study, it will be possible to verify if such bacteria transported through food served to hospitalized patients are comparable to those isolated from humans or from animals and the environment.