Characterization of a blaCTX-M-3, blaKPC-2 and blaTEM-1B co-producing IncN plasmid in Escherichia coli of chicken origin

An extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Escherichia coli strain 258E was isolated from an anal swab sample of a chicken farm of Anhui Province in China. Genomic analyses indicated that the strain 258E harbors an incompatibility group N (IncN) plasmid pEC258-3, which co-produces bla(CTX-M-3), bla(KPC-2), bla(TEM-1B), qnrS1, aac(6 ')-Ib-cr, dfrA14, arr-3, and aac(6 ')-Ib3. Multiple genome arrangement analyses indicated that pEC258-3 is highly homologous with pCRKP-1-KPC discovered in Klebsiella pneumoniae from a patient. Furthermore, conjugation experiments proved that plasmid pEC258-3 can be transferred horizontally and may pose a significant potential threat in animals, community and hospital settings.

Automated summary

An extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Escherichia coli strain 258E was identified in an anal swab sample from a chicken farm in Anhui Province, China. The strain 258E carries an IncN plasmid pEC258-3, which contains multiple resistance genes and is highly similar to a plasmid found in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Conjugation experiments confirm the horizontal transferability of plasmid pEC258-3, posing a significant potential threat in animals, community, and hospital settings.