Emergence of colistin resistance and characterization of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors of Aeromonas hydrophila , Salmonella spp., and Vibrio cholerae isolated from hybrid red tilapia cage culture

Tilapia is a primary aquaculture fish in Thailand, but little is known about the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in , spp., and colonizing healthy tilapia intended for human consumption and the co-occurrence of these AMR bacteria in the cultivation water. This study determined the phenotype and genotype of AMR, extended-spectrum -lactamase (ESBL) production, and virulence factors of , spp., and isolated from hybrid red tilapia and cultivation water in Thailand. Standard culture methods such as USFDA's BAM or ISO procedures were used for the original isolation, with all isolates confirmed by biochemical tests, serotyping, and species-specific gene detection based on PCR. A total of 278 isolates consisting of 15 , 188 spp., and 75 isolates were retrieved from a previous study. All isolates of and isolates were resistance to at least one antimicrobial, with 26.7% and 72.3% of the isolates being multidrug resistant (MDR), respectively. All isolates were resistant to ampicillin (100%), followed by oxytetracycline (26.7%), tetracycline (26.7%), trimethoprim (26.7%), and oxolinic acid (20.0%). The predominant resistance genes in were (20.0%), followed by 13.3% of isolates having , , , , and isolates also exhibited a high prevalence of resistance to ampicillin (79.3%), oxolinic acid (75.5%), oxytetracycline (71.8%), chloramphenicol (62.8%), and florfenicol (55.3%). The most common resistance genes in these isolates were (65.4%), (64.9%), (63.8%), and (55.9%). All isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobials tested, while the most common resistance gene was (12.0%). One isolate of was positive for , while all isolates of and isolates were negative for integrons and . None of the bacterial isolates in this study were producing ESBL. The occurrence of (20.0%) in these isolates from tilapia aquaculture may signify a serious occupational and consumer health risk given that colistin is a last resort antimicrobial for treatment of Gram-negative bacteria infections. Findings from this study on AMR bacteria in hybrid red tilapia suggest that aquaculture as practiced in Thailand can select for ubiquitous AMR pathogens, mobile genetic elements, and an emerging reservoir of and colistin-resistant bacteria. Resistant and pathogenic bacteria, such as resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline, or MDR circulating in aquaculture, together highlight the public health concerns and foodborne risks of zoonotic pathogens in humans from cultured freshwater fish.