<p>The emergence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (ESBL-Ec) in food animals poses a significant public health concern. While the prevalence and genetic traits of ESBL-Ec in commercial farms have been widely studied, data from backyard farms remain limited. Herein, we investigated the occurrence of ESBL-Ec among backyard animals across 12 villages in Shandong province, China. Notable variations in ESBL-Ec prevalence were observed among animal species, ranging from 78.7% in pigs, 61.5% in cattle, 50.0% in sheep, 28.6% in ducks, 14.1% in dogs, 11.5% in chickens, and 5.3% in cats. In addition, 74 ESBL-Ec were recovered from 180 flies captured in household backyards. Genomic analysis revealed substantial genetic diversity, with dominant sequence types&#xa0;(STs) including ST10, ST48, ST206, and ST744 identified across multiple host species. Bayesian clustering showed that all seven lineages were distributed across at least two sources, suggesting frequent inter-host transmission. Several isolates from different animal species exhibited high similarity (0–65 single nucleotide polymorphisms), indicating potential clonal spread. The <i>bla</i><sub>CTX-M-14,&#xa0;</sub><i>bla</i><sub>CTX-M-65,</sub> and <i>bla</i><sub>CTX-M-55</sub> genes were predominant, accounting&#xa0;for 79.1% of detected <i>bla</i><sub>CTX-M</sub> variants, and were predicted to be located on IncFIB, IncHI2, IncFII, and IncX1 plasmids. Notably, isolates from backyard animals shared STs and <i>bla</i><sub>CTX-M</sub> genotypes with previously reported human and environmental isolates from the same area, suggesting potential transmission across hosts and environmental niches. These findings highlight backyard farming systems as potential reservoirs of ESBL-Ec and emphasize the need for improved antimicrobial stewardship and management practices to limit resistance spread.</p>

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Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in Chinese backyard animals: genetic diversity and public health implications

  • Bo Fu,
  • Shizhen Ma,
  • Zhiyu Zou,
  • Jiyun Li,
  • Tengfei Ma,
  • Junyao Jiang,
  • Anette Hulth,
  • Stefan Börjesson,
  • Lennart E. Nilsson,
  • Qiang Sun,
  • Yonghong Xiao,
  • Jianzhong Shen,
  • Congming Wu,
  • Stefan Schwarz,
  • Yang Wang,
  • Chengtao Sun

摘要

The emergence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) in food animals poses a significant public health concern. While the prevalence and genetic traits of ESBL-Ec in commercial farms have been widely studied, data from backyard farms remain limited. Herein, we investigated the occurrence of ESBL-Ec among backyard animals across 12 villages in Shandong province, China. Notable variations in ESBL-Ec prevalence were observed among animal species, ranging from 78.7% in pigs, 61.5% in cattle, 50.0% in sheep, 28.6% in ducks, 14.1% in dogs, 11.5% in chickens, and 5.3% in cats. In addition, 74 ESBL-Ec were recovered from 180 flies captured in household backyards. Genomic analysis revealed substantial genetic diversity, with dominant sequence types (STs) including ST10, ST48, ST206, and ST744 identified across multiple host species. Bayesian clustering showed that all seven lineages were distributed across at least two sources, suggesting frequent inter-host transmission. Several isolates from different animal species exhibited high similarity (0–65 single nucleotide polymorphisms), indicating potential clonal spread. The blaCTX-M-14, blaCTX-M-65, and blaCTX-M-55 genes were predominant, accounting for 79.1% of detected blaCTX-M variants, and were predicted to be located on IncFIB, IncHI2, IncFII, and IncX1 plasmids. Notably, isolates from backyard animals shared STs and blaCTX-M genotypes with previously reported human and environmental isolates from the same area, suggesting potential transmission across hosts and environmental niches. These findings highlight backyard farming systems as potential reservoirs of ESBL-Ec and emphasize the need for improved antimicrobial stewardship and management practices to limit resistance spread.