title: Isolation and molecular characterization of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from imported flamingos in Japan.
abstract: Imported animals, especially those from developing countries, may constitute a potential hazard to native animals and to public health. In this study, a new flock of lesser flamingos imported from Tanzania to Hiroshima Zoological Park were screened for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, integrons and antimicrobial resistance genes. Thirty-seven Gram-negative bacterial isolates were obtained from the flamingos. Seven isolates (18.9%) showed multidrug resistance phenotypes, the most common being against: ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and nalidixic acid. Molecular analyses identified class 1 and class 2 integrons, beta-lactamase-encoding genes, blaTEM-1 and blaCTX-M-2 and the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes, qnrS and qnrB. This study highlights the role of animal importation in the dissemination of multidrug-resistant bacteria, integrons and antimicrobial resistance genes from one country to another.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Hygiene, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan. pre_savath@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Ashraf M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000382:microbiology*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D001717:Birds; D052978:Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D019450:Genes, MDR / Q000235:genetics; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007564:Japan; D013636:Tanzania
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents