Multidrug-Resistant Vibrio spp. carrying carbapenemase genes in aquacultured shrimp and their zoonotic importance

Abstract In the present study, samples (hepatopancreas and muscles) from 100 cultured shrimp ( Penaeus indicus ) were collected. The water samples (n = 30) were obtained from the same shrimp aquaculture farms located at Damietta Governorate in Egypt. An additional 30 samples of human stool were also taken from fish workers who consumed or handled shrimp in the farms. Traditional and regular molecular methods were used for the isolation of Vibrio spp. The investigation identified 165 (63.5%) Vibrio spp. with predominance of V. fluvialis (41.2%), V. alginolyticus (31.5%) and V. parahaemolyticus (7.9%). Findings of large-scale multidrug resistance (77.5% of isolates) and also of the presence of carbapenemase genes ( bla KPC , bla NDM ) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes ( bla CTX-M , bla TEM ) were important discoveries. This strong resistance, due to the fact that a lot of pressure has been exerted on the aquaculture through the use of antibiotics, demonstrates the ineffectiveness of antibiotics in combating vibriosis in shrimp farming. The clinical signs observed in shrimps were red and fragile shells, and pale hepatopancreas. Histopathological analyses corroborated the presence of sloughed hepatopancreas epithelium, vacuolation, oedema and hemocytic infiltration. Regarding sequence similarity, the gyrB gene was sequenced, and all of the shrimp hepatopancreas isolates showed 100% sequence identity with the human stool isolates, which indicates potential genetic relatedness of V. fluvialis isolates. However, because of the conserved nature of gyrB , higher resolution tools are needed to verify transmission (e.g., MLST or WGS). The results of this study show that ecological management strategies and improved farm hygiene practices can be more effective intervention strategies than antibiotic use, providing valuable insights for sustainable shrimp aquaculture and public health interventions.