Significance and Impact of the Study: Multidrug resistant (MDR) enteric bacteria are global concern. Association of MDR traits in STEC isolates are another rising issue in human and animal health perspective. The interaction of such organisms among the human, domestic animals and adjoining water sources require to be analysed systematically. The present study exhibited the possible transmission of MDR-STEC among the human, domestic animals and water sources in the North eastern states of India. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such kind in India. AbstractExtended spectrum b-lactamases (ESBL) producing Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) are posing a constant threat to public health throughout the world leading to serious infections and raising key therapeutic issues. A total of 219 fecal samples were collected from piglets with diarrheoa, pig farmers and water sources in North East India; and were processed for isolation of Escherichia coli. The isolates were screened for antimicrobial resistance and suspected isolates for ESBLs production by double-disk synergy test (DDST). Escherichia coli isolates positive for DDST were subjected for detection of selected ESBL/beta-lactamase genes and virulence associated genes by PCR. By DDST, 337 (67Á94%) E. coli isolates were detected as ESBLs producer, of which 211 (66Á98%), 117 (70Á91%) and 9 (56Á25%) isolates were from piglets, humans and water sources respectively. A total of 64 (12Á90%) isolates were recorded as STEC, of which 48 (9Á68%), 6 (1Á21%) and 10 (2Á02%) were from human, piglets and water respectively. Majority of the STEC isolates (64Á06%) possessed multiple virulence genes, of which 59Á38% also harboured ESBL/ beta-lactamase genes with 32Á81% STEC isolates being positive for multiple ESBL/beta-lactamase genes.Letters in Applied Microbiology ISSN 0266-8254

Aim: This study aimed to study the prevalence of the coinfection of enteric bacterial and viral pathogens, namely Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Rotavirus, and Picobirnavirus from fecal samples of pre-weaned piglets in Northeast region of India. Materials and Methods: A total of 457 fresh fecal samples were collected from piglets under 9 weeks old during 2013-2015 from organized (n=225) and unorganized (n=232) farms of Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland. Samples were collected from diarrheic (n =339) and non-diarrheic (n=118) piglets including local indigenous (n=130) and crossbreed (n=327) piglets in different seasons during the study period. The samples were processed for the isolation of E. coli and Salmonella and detection of their putative virulence genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Samples were also processed for the detection of Rotavirus and Picobirnavirus by RNA-polyacrylamide agarose gel electrophoresis and reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR). Results: A total of 11 (2.40%) samples were found positive for two or more coinfecting enteric bacterial and viral pathogens. All the 11 positive fecal samples were recovered from diarrheic piglets. Salmonella Typhimurium (enterotoxin, stn gene) and Picobirnavirus genogroup 1 were found to be more frequent as coinfecting agents. Coinfection was recorded higher in unorganized (3.87%) compared to organized farm (0.88%). Again, higher detection was recorded in crossbreed (2.75%) than local indigenous piglets (1.53%). The occurrence of coinfection was found to be more common during summer (4.68%) followed by winter (2.27%) season. Conclusion: The present study highlighted the significance of E. coli, Salmonella, Rotavirus, and Picobirnavirus as important diarrheagenic pathogens causing coinfection in piglets in Northeast region of India. Probably, this is the first systematic study of the coinfection of four important diarrheagenic bacterial and viral agents associated with piglet diarrhea in India.

Picobirnaviruses (PBVs) have been recognized as one of the important causal viral agents of gastroenteritis in several animal species especially in young immunocompromised hosts. In this study, we report the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of porcine PBVs from North Eastern Hilly region of India. A total of 457 fecal samples from piglets were collected from local (n = 130) and cross (n = 327) breed piglets in different seasons for 2 years. All the samples were subjected to RNA-PAGE and RT-PCR analysis for detection of PBVs. A total of 4.59 and 11.15% samples were recorded as positive for PBVs by RNA-PAGE and RT-PCR, respectively. Rate of detection was higher from diarrhoeic animals (13.56%) compared to non-diarrhoeic (4.23%) animals. Higher prevalence rate was observed from unorganized farms (14.22%) compared to organized farms (8.0%) with slightly higher detection from cross breed (11.62%) compared to local breed (10.0%). Maximum cases of piglet diarrhea associated with PBVs were detected during summer (16.4%) and winter (14.39%) seasons compared to autumn (4.80%) and spring (6.45%). All the samples were positive for PBV genogroup I only. Based upon the sequence analysis, the isolates were unique and placed in separate clad and were not closely associated with any other Indian isolates of PBVs so far. Two isolates were closely related with one Chinese isolate recovered from sewage water. This is the first systematic study of prevalence of PBVs associated with piglet diarrhea.

Rotaviruses have been recognized as an important etiological agent of non-bacterial acute gastroenteritis in young children and animals of several species worldwide, including diarrhoea in weaning and post-weaning piglets. In this study, we report the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of rotaviruses detected from piglets in different regions of the northeastern hilly region of India. A total of 457 faecal samples (339 diarrhoeal and 118 non-diarrhoeal) were collected from piglets from local (n = 130) and cross breed (n = 327) piglets between July 2013 to June 2015 in different seasons of the year. All the samples were subjected to RNA-PAGE and RT-PCR analysis. Rotaviruses were detected in 4.81% animals by RNA-PAGE and 7.43% animals by RT-PCR, with the highest prevalence (9.67%) from Meghalaya state. All the isolates were recorded as GARV and genogroup 5. The prevalence was higher in unorganized farms (10.77%) compared to organized farms (4.0%) with higher detection from diarrhoeic (9.14%) compared to non-diarrhoeic animals (2.54%). A higher prevalence was also recorded during the summer (12.5%) and winter (9.09%) seasons. On the basis of the sequence analysis, all the isolates were placed in a unique single cluster, different from other Indian isolates from humans and animals, which were in close proximity with human isolates. This is the first report of the detection of G5 Rotavirus associated with piglet diarrhoea in India.

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