In view of the intercontinental emergence of Escherichia coli clone O25:H4-ST131 producing CTX-M-15 extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) in human clinical settings it would be of great interest to explore its existence in animals to unravel a possible reservoir function and the origin and transmission of this group of multiresistant strains. A total of 177 clinical phenotypically ESBL-producing E. coli isolates, mainly obtained from companion animals with urinary tract infections, wound infections and diarrhoea, were collected in a veterinary diagnostic laboratory covering a European-wide service area. They were screened for molecular subtype O25b and multilocus sequence type 131. O25b-ST131 isolates were subsequently tested for ESBL types, and phenotypic and genotypic resistance determinants. Further characterization of the strains was performed by PFGE and virulence gene typing. Ten (5.6%) of 177 phenotypically ESBL-producing E. coli isolates, nine strains from dogs and one strain from a horse, were allocated to the B2-O25b-ST131 lineage. Nine of these isolates harboured a CTX-M-15-type β-lactamase enzyme while one strain possessed an SHV-12-type ESBL. Macrorestriction analysis revealed a cluster formation of six of the animal CTX-M-15-type ESBL-producing strains from five different European countries together with a human control strain constituting a group of clonally related strains at a similarity value of 87.0%. Our findings demonstrate that the group of clonally related human B2-O25:H4-ST131 CTX-M-15-type ESBL-producing E. coli strains is present in companion animals from various European countries. This highlights the possibility of inter-species transmission of these multiresistant strains from human to animal and vice versa.

To discern the relevance of ST648 extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli as a putative new group of multiresistant and extraintestinal pathogenic strains in animals, its frequency, ESBL types, antimicrobial resistance patterns and virulence gene (VG) profiles should be determined and compared with ST131 strains from the same collection of strains. ESBL-producing E. coli isolates (n = 1152), consecutively sampled from predominantly dogs, cats and horses between 2008 and 2011, were assigned to a phylogenetic group by PCR. Partial multilocus sequence typing was performed for group D and B2 strains and strains presumed to be D-ST648 and B2-ST131 were fully typed. ESBL genes and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC)-like VGs were characterized by PCR and sequence analysis and antimicrobial resistance was determined by broth dilution. Clonal analysis was done by PFGE. Forty (3.5%) ESBL-producing E. coli were determined as D-ST648, whereas B2-ST131 isolates occurred less frequently (2.8%). Although the predominant ESBL type in both groups was CTX-M-15 (72.5% versus 46.9%), ST648 strains from companion animals and horses displayed a lower variety of ESBL types (CTX-M-1, -3, -14, -15 and -61 versus CTX-M-1,-2,-14,-15,-27 and -55 and SHV-12). In contrast to ST131 strains, a higher proportion of ST648 strains showed resistance to most non-β-lactam antibiotics. Overall, VGs were less abundant in ST648 strains, although some strains had VG profiles comparable to those of ST131 strains. ExPEC-associated serotype O1:H6 was predominant (46.8%) among the ST648 strains. Some PFGE clusters comprised ST648 isolates from pets, horses and wild birds and humans included from previous studies. Our findings demonstrate that certain subgroups of E. coli D-ST648-CTX-M may represent a novel genotype that combines multiresistance, extraintestinal virulence and zoonotic potential.

Clinically relevant extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing multi-resistant Escherichia coli have been on the rise for years. Initially restricted to mostly a clinical context, recent findings prove their prevalence in extraclinical settings independent of the original occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in the environment. To get further insights into the complex ecology of potentially clinically relevant ESBL-producing E. coli, 24 isolates from wild birds in Berlin, Germany, and 40 ESBL-producing human clinical E. coli isolates were comparatively analyzed. Isolates of ST410 occurred in both sample groups (six). In addition, three ESBL-producing E. coli isolates of ST410 from environmental dog feces and one clinical dog isolate were included. All 10 isolates were clonally analyzed showing almost identical macrorestriction patterns. They were chosen for whole-genome sequencing revealing that the whole-genome content of these 10 E. coli isolates showed a very high genetic similarity, differing by low numbers of single nucleotide polymorphisms only. This study gives initial evidence for a recent interspecies transmission of a new successful clone of ST410 E. coli between wildlife, humans, companion animals and the environment. The results underline the zoonotic potential of clinically relevant multi-resistant bacteria found in the environment as well as the mandatory nature of the ‘One Health’ approach.