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Title: Prevalence of mcr-1 in U.S. food-animal cecal contents

Author
item Meinersmann, Richard - Rick
item LADELY, SCOTT - Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)
item Plumblee Lawrence, Jodie
item Cook, Kimberly - Kim
item Thacker, Eileen

Submitted to: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/9/2016
Publication Date: 2/1/2017
Citation: Meinersmann, R.J., Ladely, S.R., Plumblee Lawrence, J.R., Cook, K.L., Thacker, E.L. 2017. Prevalence of mcr-1 in U.S. food-animal cecal contents. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 61(2):e02244-16.

Interpretive Summary: A recent report from China described the discovery of a gene that confers resistance to the antimicrobial agent colistin in bacteria that are of food-safety concern. The study reported here was undertaken to determine if the gene could be found in the United States. A survey of 2003 cecal content samples from chickens, turkeys, cattle and swine at slaughter facilities in the United States was conducted to estimate the prevalence of the gene known as mcr-1. The gene was found in two isolates of Escherichia coli for an overall prevalence of 0.1%. The gene was found on plasmids, self-replicating small pieces of DNA independent of the chromosome, of the type known as IncI2. The newly found plasmids had differences from any previously described plasmid that makes it difficult to determine their source.l.

Technical Abstract: A survey of 2003 cecal content samples from chickens, turkeys, cattle and swine at slaughter facilities in the United States was conducted to estimate the prevalence of mcr-1 gene conferring resistance to colistin in Enterobacteriaceae. Two samples from swine had Escherichia coli with IncI2 plasmids bearing the mcr-1 gene.