First report of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance qnrA1 gene in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate of animal origin

One QnrA1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate GDKA1 from chicken was detected. The qnrA1 gene on plasmid pGDKA1 was located in a genetic environment similar to that in In36 on plasmid pHSH1 and could be cotransferred to Escherichia coli J53 Az(R) with other resistances by a conjugation experiment. Upstream of the qnrA1 gene, there was a class I integron with the dfrA27 and aadA2 cassettes. Similar genetic environments of qnrA1 in Enterobacteriaceae isolates from both human and animal origin might, to some extent, demonstrate similar mechanisms of qnrA distribution. The presence of qnrA1 in health animal commensal bacteria should be worthy of note. This is the first report of qnrA1 in K. pneumoniae and dfrA27 in an Enterobacteriaceae isolate of animal origin.