Prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase- and carbapenemase-encoding genes in poultry faeces from Algeria and Marseille, France.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- and carbapenemase-encoding genes in poultry from Algeria and Marseille, France.

METHODS

Samples consisted of faeces collected from broilers in France and Algeria between 2014 and 2015. DNA extraction and quantitative PCR were performed on 833 faecal samples to screen for the presence of genes encoding ESBLs (blaTEM, blaSHV and blaCTX-M) and carbapenemases (blaNDM, blaVIM, blaKPC, blaOXA-23, blaOXA-24, blaOXA-48 and blaOXA-58). To characterise bacteria carrying antimicrobial resistance genes, positive results were simultaneously sequenced.

RESULTS

All chicken faeces from Marseille were negative for ESBL- and carbapenemase-encoding genes. However, of the 503 faecal samples collected in Algeria, 128 (25.4%) were positive for blaTEM, 83 (16.5%) for blaSHV, 46 (9.1%) for blaCTX-M and 132 (26.2%) for blaOXA-58. Using a sequencing reaction, a high diversity of ESBL genes was observed throughout the sites studied.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows a high prevalence and diversity of ESBL and carbapenemase genes in poultry faeces from Algeria, whereas none of the samples from Marseille were positive for these genes. The high prevalence of ESBLs in Algeria is in contrast to the observation that no chickens were found to be positive in France.