title: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase genes of Escherichia coli in chicken meat and humans, The Netherlands.
abstract: We determined the prevalence and characteristics of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes of Enterobacteriaceae in retail chicken meat and humans in the Netherlands. Raw meat samples were obtained, and simultaneous cross-sectional surveys of fecal carriage were performed in 4 hospitals in the same area. Human blood cultures from these hospitals that contained ESBL genes were included. A high prevalence of ESBL genes was found in chicken meat (79.8%). Genetic analysis showed that the predominant ESBL genes in chicken meat and human rectal swab specimens were identical. These genes were also frequently found in human blood culture isolates. Typing results of Escherichia coli strains showed a high degree of similarity with strains from meat and humans. These findings suggest that the abundant presence of ESBL genes in the food chain may have a profound effect on future treatment options for a wide range of infections caused by gram-negative bacteria.
authors.affiliation: St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Overdevest
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Willemsen
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rijnsburger
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eustace
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hawkey
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heck
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Savelkoul
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vandenbroucke-Grauls
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: van der Zwaluw
authors.forename: Xander
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huijsdens
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kluytmans
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D009426:Netherlands; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001618:beta-Lactamases