Increasing fluroquinolone susceptibility and genetic diversity of ESBL-producing E. coli from the lower respiratory tract during the COVID-19 pandemic

Hrovat, Katja (avtor), Seme, Katja (avtor), Ambrožič, Jerneja (avtor)

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, among which Escherichia coli (E. coli) pneumonia is considered a rare phenomenon. Treatment options for LRTIs have become limited, especially for extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli (ESBL-EC), which are usually resistant to other groups of antimicrobials as well. The aim of our study was to compare the phenotypic resistance profiles and genotypes of ESBL-EC isolates associated with LRTIs before (pre-COVID-19) and during (COVID-19) the COVID-19 pandemic. All isolates were screened for antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence-associated genes (VAGs) and assigned to phylogenetic groups, sequence types and clonal groups by PCR. During the pandemic, a significantly lower proportion of ciprofloxacin-, levofloxacin- and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-resistant ESBL-EC isolates was retrieved from lower respiratory tract (LRT) samples. PCR-based genotypization revealed greater clonal diversity and a significantly lower proportion of isolates with bla$_{TEM}$, aac(6′)-Ib-cr and qacE∆1 genes. In addition, a higher proportion of isolates with the integrase gene int1 and virulence genes sat and tsh was confirmed. The lower prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance and greater genetic diversity of ESBL-EC isolated during the COVID-19 period may have been due to the introduction of new bacterial strains into the hospital environment, along with changes in clinical establishment guidelines and practices.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: antimicrobial resistance, Escherichia coli, extended-spectrum β-lactamases, lower respiratory tract, COVID-19
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: BF - Biotehniška fakulteta ; MF - Medicinska fakulteta
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Leto izida: 2024
• Št. strani: 14 str.
• Številčenje: Vol. 13, iss. 9, art. 797
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-169393
• UDK: 615
• ISSN pri članku: 2079-6382
• DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13090797
• COBISS.SI-ID: 205359875
• Datum objave v RUL: 27.05.2025

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: Antibiotics
• Skrajšan naslov: Antibiotics
• Založnik: MDPI
• ISSN: 2079-6382
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522975769

Licence

• Licenca: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva 4.0 Mednarodna
• Povezava: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.sl
• Opis: To je standardna licenca Creative Commons, ki daje uporabnikom največ možnosti za nadaljnjo uporabo dela, pri čemer morajo navesti avtorja.

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: odpornost proti protimikrobnim učinkovinam, Escherichia coli, β-laktamaze z razširjenim spektrom delovanja, spodnji dihalni trakt, COVID-19

Projekti

• Financer: ARIS - Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije
• Številka projekta: P1-0198
• Naslov: Molekularno-biološke raziskave mikroorganizmov

• Financer: ARIS - Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije
• Program financ.: Young researchers