Molecular analysis of multiresistant porcine Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Bredeney isolates from Southern Brazil: identification of resistance genes, integrons and a group II intron

The relationships of 83 porcine Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Bredeney isolates obtained at two slaughterhouses in Southern Brazil were analysed by XbaI and BlnI macrorestriction analysis, plasmid profiling and determination of antimicrobial resistance patterns. Twenty-nine XbaI and 30 BlnI macrorestriction patterns were identified. The 72 plasmid-bearing isolates exhibited 20 different plasmid profiles. Multiresistance was detected in 49 isolates (59%), of which 39 isolates showed at least resistance to sulfonamides, tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, kanamycin and/or ampicillin. A representative subset of 12 isolates was chosen for identification of resistance genes, their localisation and transferability. The sulfonamide resistance genes sul1, sul2 and sul3, the tetracycline resistance genes tet(A) and tet(B), the phenicol resistance genes catA1 and floR, the streptomycin resistance gene strA, the kanamycin resistance gene aphA1 and the ampicillin resistance gene bla_TEM were detected and found to be located most frequently on plasmids. In addition, class 1 and 2 integrons with the cassette arrangements dfrA21/bla_OXA-129/aadA1 and dfrA1/sat1/aadA1, respectively, were detected. A group II intron was found to be inserted into the 59-base element of an aadA1 gene cassette in a class 1 integron. This study revealed a wide genomic variety among the S. Bredeney isolates, and the high number of multiresistant isolates may point towards the risks that these S. Bredeney isolates can represent to human health.