Impact and Diversity of ESBL-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Recovered from Raw Chicken Meat Samples in Türkiye
Abstract
The interrelationship between human, animal and environmental sectors leads to the
spread of antibiotic resistance due to selective pressures, evolutionary traits and genomic evolution.
In particular, the frequent use of antibiotics in livestock inevitably influences the emergence of
specific resistance determinants in human strains, associated with reduced treatment options in
clinical therapy. In this study, ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from chicken
meat samples were evaluated for public health implications in Türkiye. Whole-genome sequencing
was used for genetic dissection and phylogenetic comparison of their genomes. The isolates were
assigned to four MLST types (ST147, ST37, ST2747 and ST219); two of them were found to represent
the ST147 clone associated with severe human infections worldwide. In addition to cephalosporins,
high resistance levels to quinolones/fluoroquinolones were identified phenotypically, caused by
acquired resistance genes and chromosomal point variations. One isolate was also found to carry the
qacEΔ1 efflux transporter gene, which confers tolerance to quaternary ammonium compounds. The
detection of virulence genes (i.e., that coding for enterobactin) associated with the pathogenicity of
K. pneumoniae suggests a public health impact. Thus, comprehensive information on the occurrence
and impact of K. pneumoniae from livestock is needed to derive appropriate management strategies for
consumer protection. In this study, it was shown that poultry meat serves as a reservoir of clinically
emerging multidrug-resistant high-risk clones.