CTX-M-Type Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolated from Cases of Bovine Mastitis in Japan

Three Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) were obtained from three dairy cows with clinical mastitis in two farms in western Japan. Two of the 3 isolates from cows in different farms were able to transfer plasmids carrying the bla(CTX-M-2) gene to Escherichia coli recipient. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of the 2 isolates were different from each other, although restricted-fragment patterns of the two conjugative plasmids were similar to each other. Additionally, PCR-based replicon typing revealed that both the plasmids belonged to type Inc.T. These results suggest that ESBL-encoding genes can be distributed in bacteria on dairy farms through the plasmids.