Detection of multidrug‐resistant Gram‐negative bacteria from imported reptile and amphibian meats

Abstract

Aims The food supply is a potential source of antimicrobial resistance. Current surveillance programs targeting food are limited to beef, pork and poultry and do not capture niche products. In this study, imported reptile and amphibian products were screened for antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Methods and Results Fifty‐three items including soft shell turtles, frog legs, geckos, snakes and a turtle carapace were purchased from specialty markets in Vancouver and Saskatoon, Canada. Samples were selectively cultured for Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae and meropenem resistant organisms. Salmonella, all pan‐susceptible, were grown from six dried geckos. E. coli were isolated from 19 samples, including ESBL producers from six items. One multidrug resistant E. coli possessed both the bla_CTX‐M‐55 and mcr‐1 genes. An NDM‐1 producing Acinetobacter spp. was also isolated from a dried turtle carapace. Conclusions Our results suggest that imported reptile and amphibian meats are an underappreciated source of resistant bacteria. Significance and Impact of the Study The international trade of food may play a role in the dissemination of resistant bacteria. The presence of these bacteria in niche market foods represents a risk of unknown magnitude to public health and a gap in current national resistance surveillance programs.