Prevalence and characteristics of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated from rural well water in Taian, China, 2014

The production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) is one of the major antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in Enterobacteriaceae, and the increasing number of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated from water environments has posed a serious threat to the public health. The study aimed to analyze prevalence and characterization of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae from rural well waters in Taian, China. A total of 10 isolates expressing an ESBL phenotype, including 9 Escherichia coli (E. coli) and 1 Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) was obtained from 4 (4 %) out of the 100 sampled wells. ESBL genotype revealed that 9 expressed CTX-M-15 and 1 produced CTX-M-27. Five out of 8 ESBL-producing E. coli expressing CTX-M-15 belonged to ST10, which are mostly detected from human feces in China. Importantly, the only strain of CTX-M-27-producing E. coli belonged to multi-locus sequence type B2:131 (ST131), which may be related with severe infection in humans and animals.