Class 1 and 2 Integrons in Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Diarrhea and Bacteremia in Children Less Than 2 Years of Age from Peru

Maribel Riveros Laboratorio de Enfermedades Entéricas, Nutrición y Resistencia Antimicrobiana, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemática, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, Lima, Peru;
Laboratorio de Infectología Pediátrica, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;

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Maria J. Pons Grupo de Investigación en Dinámicas y Epidemiología de la Resistencia a Antimicrobianos - “One Health,” Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru;

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David Durand Laboratorio de Enfermedades Entéricas, Nutrición y Resistencia Antimicrobiana, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;
Laboratorio de Infectología Pediátrica, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;

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Theresa J. Ochoa Laboratorio de Enfermedades Entéricas, Nutrición y Resistencia Antimicrobiana, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;
Laboratorio de Infectología Pediátrica, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;
University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, Texas

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Joaquim Ruiz Grupo de Investigación en Dinámicas y Epidemiología de la Resistencia a Antimicrobianos - “One Health,” Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru;

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ABSTRACT.

Class 1 and Class 2 integrons are mobilizable elements able to carry a variety of antibiotic resistance determinants. In the present study, Class 1 and 2 integrons present in 355 pathogenic Escherichia coli (285 diarrheagenic, of these 129 were enteropathogenic, 90 enteroaggregative, 66 enterotoxigenic, and 70 bacteremic) isolated from healthy and ill children under age 5 from periurban areas of Lima, Peru, were characterized. The presence of integrase 1 and 2 was established by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and variable regions were grouped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and subsequent sequencing. Antimicrobial resistance was established by disk diffusion. Ninety-seven isolates (27.3%) presented integrase 1, and 16 (4.5%) presented integrase 2 (P < 0.0001); in addition, seven (2.0%) isolates, six diarrheagenic and one bacteremic, presented both integrase genes. The presence of integrase 1 was more frequent among bacteremic isolates (P = 0.0004). Variable regions were amplified in 76/120 (63.3%) isolates with up to 14 gene arrangements. The most prevalent gene cassettes were those encoding dihydrofolate reductases as well as aminoglycoside modifying enzymes. Of note, Class 1 integrons tended to be associated with the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). A variety of Class 1 and 2 integrons were detected in diarrheagenic and bacteremic E. coli, demonstrating the heterogeneity of variable regions circulating in the area. The association of integrons with ESBLs is worrisome and has an impact on the development of multidrug resistance.

Author Notes

Address correspondence to Joaquim Ruiz, Universidad Científica del Sur, Antigua Panamericana Sur Km 19, Villa El Salvador, Lima, Peru. E-mail: joruiz.trabajo@gmail.com

Financial support: J. R. was supported by Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico, Tecnológico y de Innovación Tecnológica (FONDECYT—Perú) within the “Proyecto de Mejoramiento y Ampliación de los Servicios del Sistema Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Tecnológica” (contract: 08-2019-FONDECYT-BM-INC-INV”) and the Universidad Científica del Sur.

Authors’ addresses: Maribel Riveros, Laboratorio de Enfermedades Entéricas, Nutrición y Resistencia Antimicrobiana, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemática, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, Lima, Peru, and Laboratorio de Infectología Pediátrica, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, E-mail: maribel.riveros@upch.pe. Maria J. Pons and Joaquim Ruiz, Grupo de Investigación en Dinámicas y Epidemiología de la Resistencia a Antimicrobianos - “One Health,” Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru, E-mails: ma.pons.cas@gmail.com and joruiz.trabajo@gmail.com. David Durand, Laboratorio de Enfermedades Entéricas, Nutrición y Resistencia Antimicrobiana, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, and Laboratorio de Infectología Pediátrica, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, E-mail: david.durand@upch.pe. Theresa J. Ochoa, Laboratorio de Enfermedades Entéricas, Nutrición y Resistencia Antimicrobiana, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, and Laboratorio de Infectología Pediátrica, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, E-mail: theresa.ochoa@upch.pe.

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