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The present study aims to characterize ESBL-producing Escherichia coli isolated from healthy cattle and sheep in the Burdur province of Turkey. Fecal samples from a total of 200 cattle and 200 sheep were tested and ESBL-producing E. coli was isolated from 31 (15.5%) cattle and three (1.5%) sheep samples using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute's combined disk method. Among the ESBL gene classes detected by PCR, bla CTX-M was the most frequent type, followed by the bla TEM and bla SHV families. ESBL-producing E. coli isolates showed co-resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics including aminoglycosides, phenicols, quinolones, folate pathway inhibitors and tetracyclines. The resistance rates were higher in the cattle isolates than in the sheep isolates. Phylogenetic grouping of the E. coli isolates indicated group A (particularly A 1 ) was the predominant phylogenetic group (19/34, 55.9%), followed by groups B1 (9/34, 26.5%) and D (6/34, 17.6%); none of the isolates belonged to group B2. The study shows that ESBL-producing E. coli isolates exist in the intestinal fl ora of healthy cattle and sheep in the Burdur province of Turkey. This is the fi rst report showing the emergence of CTX-M type ESBL-producing E. coli in sheep farms in Turkey.

In this study, determination of resistance to methicilline and vancomycin in staphylococcus strains isolated from cow milk samples with subclinical and clinical mastitis was aimed. One hundred staphylococcus strains were isolated from total 306 quarter milk samples collected from the dairy cattle farms in the city of Burdur. Phenotypic resistance to methicillin and vancomycin was determined by Agar-Disc Diffusion Technique (ADDT) and Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values for methicillin and vancomycin were determined by Agar Dilution Technique (ADT), according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocols. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was performed for determination of mecA and vanA genes in the strains. The number of strains with both phenotypically and genotypically resistant and susceptible to methicillin were found as 20 and 25, respectively. Ten staphylococcus strains with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin were determined. None of the strains had vanA gene. In conclusion, it is stated that methicillin resistance in staphylococcus strains responsible from mastitis in cattle in Burdur province is high. In terms of vancomycin resistance there is no resistant staphylococcus strains, but presence of strains with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin should be taken into account.

Three hundred rectal faecal samples and 213 raw milk samples obtained from the tanks and containers were examined using standard cultural methods. Escherichia coli O157:H7 was isolated from 11 (3.7 %) of 300 faecal samples and 3 (1.4 %) of 213 raw milk samples. It was determined that 8 (73 %) of E. coli O157:H7 strains isolated from faecal samples originated from water buffaloes younger than 2 years of age and 3 (27 %) from 2-year-old and older water buffaloes. This is the 1st isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from faecal and milk samples of water buffaloes in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to detect Shiga toxins (stx1 and stx2), enterohaemolysin (EhlyA) and intimin (eaeA) virulence genes of 11 Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains isolated from faecal samples of 300 clinically healthy Anatolian water buffaloes by PCR. Multiplex PCR was used for the detection of stx1 and stx2, and singleplex PCRs were used for the detection of EhlyA and eaeA virulence genes respectively. A total of three (27.3%) strains were determined to harbour both of the stx1 and stx2 genes, of these, one (9.1%) only harboured these two genes alone, one (9.1%) also contained the EhlyA gene and one (9.1%) additionally contained the EhlyA and the eaeA genes. EhlyA gene was obtained from eight (72.7%) strains, six (54.5%) of these were alone. eaeA gene was positive in only one (9.1%) strain. Only one (9.1%) of the 11 E. coli O157:H7 strains harboured all the four virulence genes. Two (18.2%) of the isolates had none of the virulence genes. Enterohaemolysin was found to be the most common virulence factor. In conclusion, the virulence factors of E. coli O157:H7 strains isolated from the faeces of Anatolian water buffaloes were investigated and detected for the first time in Turkey.