BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1592955
This article is part of the Research TopicAntimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Medicine: Epidemiology, Economic Impact, and Mitigation StrategiesView all 8 articles
First Detection and Genomic Analysis of mcr-1-Positive Salmonella Infantis Isolated from a Broiler Production System in the United Arab Emirates
Provisionally accepted
Ihab Habib1*
Mohamed Yousif Ibrahim Mohamed1
Glindya Bhagya Lakshmi1Hassan Mohamed Al Marzooqi2Hanan Sobhy Afifi2Mohamed Gamal Shehata2
Mohammed Elbediwi3- 1Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, AlAin, United Arab Emirates
- 2Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- 3Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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This study reports the first detection of mcr-1.1-mediated colistin resistance in Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis from a commercial broiler farm in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Two S. Infantis isolates (SAL_93 and SAL_94) were recovered from caecal droppings and characterized using wholegenome sequencing (WGS). Genomic analysis revealed a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) difference between them, confirming their close epidemiological relationship. Both isolates belonged to multilocus sequence type 32 and exhibited multidrug resistance (MDR), including resistance to colistin (MIC = 4 mg/L) and ciprofloxacin (MIC = 0.5 mg/L). Notably, the mcr-1.1 gene was detected on a conjugative IncX4 plasmid. Additionally, the isolates harbored a large (275,043 bp) conjugative IncFIB plasmid carrying multiple AMR genes, including aadA1, sul1, tet(A), qacEdelta1. Bioinformatic analysis showed a high identity for globally reported mcr-1.1-carrying IncX4 plasmids. The investigation of virulence-associated factors in the studied isolates identified 162 potential virulence-related genes. These included genes linked to the type 3 secretion system, specifically those encoded by pathogenicity island-1 (SPI-1). However, multiple genes linked to the second type 3 secretion system, encoded by SPI-2, were absent in all isolates. These findings suggest a potential risk of horizontal gene transfer in poultry production. Given these risks, the UAE's recent ban on colistin in veterinary medicine marks a crucial step in mitigating AMR transmission within a One Health framework.
Keywords: United Arab Emirates, antibiotic resistance, Salmonella, IncX4, Colistin
Received: 18 Mar 2025; Accepted: 30 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Habib, Mohamed, Lakshmi, Al Marzooqi, Afifi, Shehata and Elbediwi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ihab Habib, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, AlAin, United Arab Emirates
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