Journal Article

Unveiling resistance patterns, kmt1 sequence analyses, virulence traits, and antibiotic resistance genes of multidrug-resistant Pasteurella multocida retrieved from poultry and rabbits

Alghamdi, Saad, El-Tarabili, Reham M., Enany, Mohamed E., Kabrah, Ahmed, Alenzi, Asma Massad, Youssef, Fatma M., Algammal, Abdelazeem M., Almessiry, Bian K., Ghobashy, Madeha O. I., Abdelrahman, Nada A.

2025

Overview

Pasteurella multocida is incriminated in fowl cholera in poultry and snuffles in rabbits, causing significant economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. This study investigated the prevalence, kmt 1 gene sequencing, antibiogram, pathogenicity, and PCR detection of the virulence and resistance genes of P. multocida recovered from chickens, ducks, and rabbits. Approximately 150 samples were collected from diseased chickens, ducks, and rabbits (50 for each) from commercial farms in Ismailia government, Egypt. The collected samples were bacteriologically examined, and the recovered isolates were subsequently subjected to kmt 1 gene sequencing, antibiogram, pathogenicity test, and PCR-based detection of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. The overall prevalence of P. multocida was 20% (30/150). The highest prevalence was recorded in rabbits (24%; 12/50), followed by ducks (20%; 10/50) and chickens (16%; 8/50). The lung was the most predominant infected organ. Moreover, the kmt 1 phylogenetic analysis emphasized that the tested P. multocida strains presented remarkable genetic identity with other P. multocida strains from the USA, Denmark, China, India, and Iran. Chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin exhibited promising results in treating P. multocida . Moreover, the prevalence of oma 87, ptf A, lux S, tad G, and nan B virulence genes was 100%, 86.7%, 76.6%, 73.3%, and 56.7% respectively. Herein, 13.3% of the tested strains were multidrug-resistant (MDR) to 5 antibiotic classes and carried bla ROB−1 and tet H genes. Besides, 10% of the tested P. multocida strains were extensively drug resistant (XDR) to 7 antibiotic classes and harbored the bla ROB−1 , tet H, and erm X genes. Moreover, 10% of the recovered P. multocida strains were MDR to 5 antibiotic classes and had tet H and erm X genes. Pathogenicity test revealed that the mortality rate was 20% at 1 day post-infection, reaching its highest point (100%) at 2 days post-infection. Briefly, this study highlights the occurrence of MDR and XDR P. multocida in domestic birds and rabbits, revealing a public health threat. The oma 87, ptf A, luxS , and tad G virulence genes and the bla ROB−1 , tet H, and erm X antibiotic resistance genes are usually associated with emerging MDR P . multocida strains.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 631/326 / 631/326/22 / Animals / Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology / Antibiotic resistance / Antibiotics / Aquatic birds / Chickens / Chickens - microbiology / Chloramphenicol / Ciprofloxacin / Commercial farms / DNA sequencing / Domestic animals / Drug resistance / Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial - genetics / Ducks / Ducks - microbiology / Egypt - epidemiology / Extensively drug resistant / Fowl cholera / Genes / Genetic analysis / Health risks / Humanities and Social Sciences / LuxS protein / Microbial Sensitivity Tests / multidisciplinary / Multidrug resistance / Pasteurella Infections - microbiology / Pasteurella Infections - veterinary / Pasteurella multocida / Pasteurella multocida - drug effects / Pasteurella multocida - genetics / Pasteurella multocida - isolation & purification / Pasteurella multocida - pathogenicity / Pathogenicity / Pathogens / Phylogeny / Poultry / Poultry - microbiology / Poultry Diseases - microbiology / Public health / Rabbits - microbiology / Resistance genes / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Sequence analyses / Virulence / Virulence - genetics / Virulence genes / Waterborne diseases / Waterfowl