Molecular Characteristics of Travel-Related Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from the Calgary Health Region

Abstract

ABSTRACT Extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli has recently emerged as a major risk factor for community-acquired, travel-related infections in the Calgary Health Region. Molecular characterization was done on isolates associated with infections in returning travelers using isoelectric focusing, PCR, and sequencing for bla CTX-M s, bla TEM s, bla SHV s, bla OXA s, and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants. Genetic relatedness was determined with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis using XbaI and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). A total of 105 residents were identified; 6/105 (6%) presented with hospital-acquired infections, 9/105 (9%) with health care-associated community-onset infections, and 90/105 (86%) with community-acquired infections. Seventy-seven of 105 (73%) of the ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were positive for bla CTX-M genes; 55 (58%) produced CTX-M-15, 13 (14%) CTX-M-14, six (6%) CTX-M-24, one (1%) CTX-M-2, one (1%) CTX-M-3, and one (1%) CTX-M-27, while 10 (10%) produced TEM-52, three (3%) TEM-26, 11 (11%) SHV-2, and four (4%) produced SHV-12. Thirty-one (30%) of the ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were positive for aac ( 6 ′)- Ib - cr , and one (1%) was positive for qnrS . The majority of the ESBL-producing isolates ( n = 95 [90%]) were recovered from urine samples, and 83 (87%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin. The isolation of CTX-M-15 producers belonging to clone ST131 was associated with travel to the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan), Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, while clonally unrelated strains of CTX-M-14 and -24 were associated with travel to Asia. Our study suggested that clone ST131 coproducing CTX-M-15, OXA-1, TEM-1, and AAC(6′)-Ib-cr and clonally unrelated CTX-M-14 producers have emerged as important causes of community-acquired, travel-related infections.