Prevalence and Characteristics of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing and Carbapenemase-Producing <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i> from Freshwater Fish and Pork in Wet Markets of Hong Kong
Dulmini Nanayakkara Sapugahawatte, Carmen Li, Chendi Zhu, Priyanga Dharmaratne, K. T. Wong, Norman Lo, Margaret Ip
Abstract
(CPE) are of global health importance, yet there is a paucity of surveillance studies on food animals in Hong Kong. Here, we report a high prevalence of ESBL-E (ranging from 0.5% to 52.4%) and CPE (0% to 9.9%) from various food animal samples procured from wet markets across Hong Kong. All CPE strains were characterized by whole-genome sequencing and possessed NDM-1 and -5 genes and other resistance determinants. Given the increased resistance profile of these strains, this study highlights the emerging threat of ESBL-E and CPE disseminated in farmed animals. Furthermore, our data enriched our understanding of antibiotic resistance reservoirs from a One Health perspective that can widely spread across various niches, beyond health care settings.