An antibiotic phenotype and genotype assessment of Aeromonas spp. isolates from striped catfish with motile Aeromonas septicemia in Vietnam
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15625/vjbt-23764Keywords:
Aeromonas, antibiotic resistance gene, integron, phylogenetic tree, plasmid, susceptibility.Abstract
Motile Aeromonas Septicemia (MAS) caused by Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas dhakensis is a major disease affecting striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) aquaculture in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The overuse of antibiotics to treat MAS disease in catfish farming has contributed to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in these bacterial species. This study aims to provide an insight into antibiotic susceptibility in Aeromonas spp. associated with MAS in striped catfish. Forty-four isolates were analyzed through disk diffusion susceptibility testing and genomic analysis for antibiotic gene, plasmid and integron detection. A phylogenetic tree was also constructed to examine resistance patterns and their associations with epidemiological metadata. Results showed that A. hydrophila, A. dhakensis, A. veronii, and A. enteropelogenes exhibited multidrug resistance, especially to sulfonamide-trimethoprim, tetracycline, and norfloxacin. Genomic analyses revealed antibiotic resistance in genes across Aeromonas spp. except for A. salmonicida and A. rivipollensis, with statistical tests confirmed significant associations between sul12, dfrA1 and resistance to STX and tetA/R to tetracycline resistance, respectively. Class 1 integrons containing resistance cassettes were also found exclusively in A. hydrophila, whereas A. dhakensis carried diverse plasmid determinants. Phylogenetic reconstruction grouped isolates into five species-specific clades of (1) A. hydrophila, (2) A. dhakensis, (3) A. veronii, (4) A. enteropelogenes, and (5) A. salmonicida and A. rivipollensis; each displaying distinct resistome signatures and regional clustering. These findings indicate that the intensifying use of antibiotics in pangasius aquaculture accelerates AMR development in both species through different genetic pathways. This study provides important insights into antibiotic resistance capability and potential dissemination mechanisms of different Aeromonas spp., thus urging the need for improved antibiotic stewardship and surveillance under a One Health approach.
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Quỹ Đổi mới sáng tạo Vingroup
Grant numbers VINIF.2021.DA00034
