Characteristics of the multiple replicon plasmid IncX1‐X1 in multidrug‐resistant Escherichia coli from Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica)

Abstract Potential zoonotic pathogens may be transmitted from wildlife to humans through the illegal wild meat trade, which has become a pressing issue. However, research on the antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) of Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica) intestinal bacteria is limited. Here, multidrug‐resistant Escherichia coli M172‐1 (ST354) isolated from Malayan pangolin feces in 2019 was found to be resistant to 13 antibiotics. BGWAS analysis revealed 4 plasmids, namely, pM172‐1.1, pM172‐1.2, pM172‐1.3, and pM172‐1.4, in the isolate. The pM172‐1.2, pM172‐1.3, and pM172‐1.4 plasmids carried ARGs, namely, IncHI2‐HI2A, IncX1‐X1, and IncX1, respectively. pM172‐1.3 and pM172‐1.4 contained intact IntI1 integrons ( Is26/IntI1/arr2/cmlA5/bla OXA‐10 /ant(3″)‐IIA/dfrA14/Is26 ). Notably, pM172‐1.3 resulted from the fusion of 2 pM172‐1.4 copies and carried many more ARGs. In addition to pM172‐1.3 from the same host, other drug‐resistant bacteria ( E. coli M159‐1 (ST48), E. coli S171‐1 (ST206), and Klebsiella pneumoniae S174‐1 (ST2354)) in the same Malayan pangolin fecal samples also carried 3 plasmids with 100% gene coverage of pM172‐1.4 and 99.98% identity. Therefore, ARGs in IncX1 might spread in the intestinal flora of Malayan pangolin and between species via the illegal food chain, posing a potential threat to public health and safety.