Housefly (Musca domestica) and blow fly (Protophormia terraenovae) as vectors of colistin resistance genes-carrying bacteria.

This study reports mcr-1 carriage in Providencia spp. and detection of mcr-2 and mcr-3 after their initial identification in Belgium and China, respectively. This study suggests flies might contribute significantly to the dissemination of bacteria carrying these genes into a large variety of ecological niches. Further studies are warranted to explore the roles that flies might play in the spread of colistin resistance genes.Importance Antimicrobial resistance is recognized as one of the most serious global threats to human health. An option for treatment of the Gram-negative ESKAPE bacteria with multiple drug resistance was the reintroduction of the older antibiotic colistin. However, a mobile colistin resistance genes (mcr-1) has recently been found to occur widely; very recently, two other colistin resistance genes (mcr-2, and mcr-3) have been identified in Belgium and China, respectively. In this study, we report the presence of colistin resistance genes in flies. This is also the first report of the carriage of colistin resistance in the genus Providencia, and the first detection of mcr-2 and mcr-3 after their initial identification. This study will stimulate more in-depth studies to fully elucidate the transmission mechanisms of the colistin resistance genes and their interaction. PMID: 29030447 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: Appl Environ Microbiol Source Type: research