Percorrer por autor "Menezes, Juliana"
A mostrar 1 - 4 de 4
Resultados por página
Opções de ordenação
- Clonal and plasmid-mediated dissemination of mcr-1 in Escherichia coli strains at the human–companion animal interface : genomic characterisation of colistin resistance plasmidsPublication . Menezes, Juliana; Silva, Joana Moreira da; Fernandes, Laura; Amaral, Andreia J.; Pomba, ConstançaThe global emergence of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance (mcr-1) gene poses a critical threat to human and animal health due to its ability for horizontal dissemination. While the role of food-producing animals is well recognised, the contribution of companion animals and household environments to the persistence and circulation of mcr-1 remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the genetic relatedness of mcr-1-positive Escherichia coli strains and their associated plasmids from dogs and their cohabiting humans in Portugal (2018–2020). Whole-genome sequencing, was performed on 17 strains, including repeated sampling from the same hosts over time. Core genome SNP analysis revealed clonal relatedness among several strains from the same host and between household members (≤6 SNPs). A total of 14 mcr-1-harbouring plasmids were identified and classified into three major incompatibility groups: IncX4 (n = 2), IncHI2 (n = 5), and IncI2 (n = 7). IncX4 plasmids were detected in clonally related strains from the same human host and were identical, indicating maintenance within a persistent lineage. A subset of IncI2 plasmids formed a closely related cluster (1–6 SNPs) across genetically distinct hosts, supporting the possibility of horizontal dissemination. IncHI2 plasmids displayed greater structural diversity and carried multiple antimicrobial and metal resistance determinants. Notably, chromosomal integration of mcr-1 was identified in three strains, suggesting a potential pathway for stabilistion of colistin resistance. Overall, these findings highlight the combined role of clonal expansion and plasmid circulation in shaping the epidemiology of mcr-1 genes in community settings, reinforcing the importance of genomic surveillance within a One Health framework.
- ESBL/pAmpC-producing Escherichia coli causing urinary tract infections in non-related companion animals and humansPublication . Belas, Adriana; Marques, Cátia; Menezes, Juliana; Gama, Luís Telo da; Cavaco-Silva, Patrícia; Pomba, ConstançaUrinary tract infections (UTI) caused by Escherichia coli are frequently diagnosed in humans and companion animals. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)- and cephalosporinase (pAmpC)-producing Escherichia coli are worldwide-disseminated and frequently multidrug-resistant, hence leading to treatment failure and public health concerns. This study aimed to characterize and compare ESBL/pAmpC-producing E. coli strains causing community-acquired UTI in companion animals and non-related humans. Third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant E. coli (companion animals n = 35; humans n = 85) isolated from patients with UTI were tested against 14 antimicrobials following CLSI guidelines. PCR-based assays were used to detect the major E. coli phylogenetic groups, pathogenicity associated-islands (PAIs), virulence genes, and ESBLs/pAmpC resistance genes. ESBL/pAmpC-producing E. coli isolates were typed by multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and PCR. E. coli strains from companion animals and humans shared two MDR high-risk clonal lineages: ST131 and ST648. To the best of our knowledge, this study reports the first description of E. coli ST131 clade C1-M27 and the clonal lineage ST131 clade A in humans with community-acquired UTI in Portugal. Considering that companion animals with UTI are generally treated at home by the owners, measures should be implemented to avoid the spread of multidrug-resistant high-risk clones to humans and their household environment.
- Human and companion animal Proteus mirabilis sharingPublication . Marques, Cátia; Belas, Adriana; Menezes, Juliana; Silva, Joana Moreira da; Cavaco-Silva, Patrícia; Trigueiro, Graça; Gama, Luís T.; Pomba, ConstançaProteus mirabilis is an important pathogen that is associated with urinary tract infections. This study aims to determine the colonization and sharing of P. mirabilis between healthy companion animals and humans that are living together and to evaluate the clonal relatedness of the fecal and clinical stains. Eighteen households (24 humans, 18 dogs, 8 cats) with at least one human–animal pair were studied. Fecal samples were plated onto MacConkey and Hektoen agar and P. mirabilis PFGE analysis (NotI; Dice/UPGMA; 1.5% tolerance) was conducted for the households with multiple positive participants. Antimicrobial-resistance was tested according to CLSI. The fecal P. mirabilis pulse-types were compared with uropathogenic clinical strains (n = 183). Forty-nine P. mirabilis were isolated from eight households. The percentage of colonization in the dogs (44.4%, n = 8/18) was significantly higher (p = 0.0329) than in the humans (12.5%, n = 3/24). Three households had multiple colonized participants. One human–dog pair shared related P. mirabilis strains, which clustered with a clinical strain of animal origin (82.5%). One fecal P. mirabilis strain, from a dog, clustered with two human community-acquired clinical strains (80.9%, 88.9%). To our knowledge, this is the first report of dogs and humans living in close contact and sharing related P. mirabilis strains. The high frequency of colonization in the dogs underlines their possible role as P. mirabilis reservoirs for humans and other dogs.
- Monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends and emerging carbapenemases in Enterobacterales causing companion animal infections : a four-year studyPublication . Fernandes, Laura; Silva, Joana Moreira da; Menezes, Juliana; Marques, Cátia; Caneiras, Cátia; Pomba, ConstançaThis study assessed longitudinal trends in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among Enterobacterales causing companion animal infections in Portugal between 2020 and 2023 and characterized carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE). A collection of 4155 non-duplicate clinical Enterobacterales isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing mainly through disk diffusion, targeting β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides and folate pathway inhibitors. Possible bacteria-AMR associations and temporal trends were statistically assessed. Potential CPE were selected on Brilliance™ CRE Agar, confirmed by multiplex PCR and characterized by whole-genome sequencing (Illumina NovaSeq). In silico MLST was performed and the clonality of the strains was evaluated through maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees and pairwise SNP matrixes. Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. exhibited a higher likelihood of AMR than Escherichia coli (P < 0.001, ORs between 2.56 and 14.32). Most AMR phenotypes remained stable or declined over time, although fluoroquinolone resistance increased toward the end of the study period. Eighteen CPE mostly associated with high-risk global STs (E. coli ST410 and ST457, Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11, ST147 and ST307, respectively) were detected, carrying blaKPC-3, blaNDM-5, blaOXA-181 or blaOXA-244. Genomic analysis showed four CPE strain pairs from epidemiologically unrelated sources had < 10 SNPs differences, indicating possible recent clonal transmission of E. coli ST4981 and K. pneumoniae ST147 and ST273 strains. Overall, this study presents longitudinal AMR surveillance data from companion animal Enterobacterales infections and characterizes the genetic diversity of CPE, having detected international high-risk clones and possible transmission events. These findings reinforce the importance of integrating companion animals into One Health surveillance systems and antimicrobial stewardship strategies.