Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Detection of Virulence-Associated Genes in <i>Escherichia coli</i> Strains Isolated from Commercial Broilers

• Main Authors: Tímea Kocúreková (Author), Lívia Karahutová (Author), Dobroslava Bujňáková (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2021-10-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of iron-uptake and virulence genes, antibiotic resistance profiles, and phylogenetic relatedness in 115 <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) strains isolated from broilers in Slovakia and to determine their potential threat to human health. The most frequent phylogroups were B1 (37%) and A (21%), and 33.9% strains were included in pathogenic groups. The commonly observed iron-uptake genes were <i>feoB</i> (94%), <i>sitA</i> (83%), and <i>iutA</i> (58%). Protectins (<i>iss, kpsMTII</i>) were identified in 30% of samples. Four percent of B2-associated broilers carried the <i>papC</i> (P fimbria) gene connected with upper urinary tract infection. The dominant resistance was to tetracycline (49%), ampicillin (66%), ampicillin + sulbactam (27%), ciprofloxacin (61%), and trimethoprim + sulfonamide (34%); moreover, sporadically occurring resistance to cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and polypeptide colistin was observed. Genotypic analysis of resistance revealed the presence of <i>bla_CTX-M-1</i> and <i>bla_CTX-M-2</i> in two isolates from broilers. Commercial broilers can be reservoirs of virulent and resistant genes as well as <i>E. coli</i> causing (extra-)intestinal infections, which can be a potential threat to humans via direct contact and food.

Item Description

10.3390/antibiotics10111303
2079-6382