Molecular and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Characterization of <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolates from Bovine Slaughterhouse Process

• Main Authors: José Vázquez-Villanueva (Author), Karina Vázquez (Author), Ana Verónica Martínez-Vázquez (Author), Alfredo Wong-González (Author), Jesus Hernández-Escareño (Author), Omar Cabrero-Martínez (Author), Wendy Lizeth Cruz-Pulido (Author), Abraham Guerrero (Author), Gildardo Rivera (Author), Virgilio Bocanegra-García (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2023-02-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/antibiotics12020291; 2079-6382
• Keywords: <i>Escherichia coli</i>; slaughterhouse; resistance; virulence; phylogroups; Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RM1-950
• Source: Antibiotics, Vol 12, Iss 2, p 291 (2023)

Antimicrobials are routinely used in human and veterinary medicine. With repeated exposure, antimicrobials promote antibiotic resistance, which poses a threat to public health. In this study, we aimed to determine the susceptibility patterns, virulence factors, and phylogroups of <i>E. coli</i> isolates during the killing process in a bovine slaughterhouse. We analyzed 336 samples (from water, surfaces, carcasses, and feces), and 83.3% (280/336) were positive for <i>E. coli</i>. The most common phenotypic resistances that we detected were 50.7% (142/280) for tetracycline, 44.2% (124/280) for cephalothin, 34.6% (97/280) for streptomycin, and 36.7% (103/280) for ampicillin. A total of 82.4% of the isolates had resistance for at least one antimicrobial, and 37.5% presented multiresistance. We detected a total of 69 different phenotypic resistance patterns. We detected six other resistance-related genes, the most prevalent being <i>tet</i>A (22.5%) and <i>str</i>B (15.7%). The prevalence values of the virulence genes were 5.4% in <i>hly</i>A, 1.4% in <i>stx</i>1, and 0.7% in <i>stx</i>2. The frequencies of the pathogenic strains (B2 and D) were 32.8% (92/280) and 67.1% (188/280) as commensals A and B1, respectively. <i>E. coli</i> isolates with pathogenic potential and multiresistance may represent an important source of dissemination and a risk to consumers.