Highly Pathogenic and Multidrug Resistant Avian Pathogenic Escherichia Coli in Free-Range Chickens from Brazil

Abstract

Avian pathogenic Escherichiacoli (APEC) virulence mechanism has been continuously studied and it is believed to be multifactorial and because of this, this work aimed to characterize potentially APEC strains isolated from free-range hens. Isolates were submitted to PCR for the detection of virulence genes, which were of high prevalence. In vivo inoculation of day-old chicks revealed that 49 of these strains were of high and intermediate pathogenicity. In addition, isolates were submitted to antimicrobials susceptibility test with the majority of the strains presenting multiresistance. Phylogenetic analysis showed a greater presence of potentially APEC isolates in-group B2. In addition, high heterogeneity was detected among the isolates byXbaI enzyme. Fifteen serogroups were identified, being the O8 the most frequent. These results strengthen the fact that a combination of diverse factors are associated with the pathogenicity APEC strains, as well as to highlight its importance to public health and that free-range hens can act as a reservoirs of potentially zoonoticbacteria.

Pathological, microbiological and immunohistochemical characterization of avian colibacillosis in broiler chickens of Mozambique

“…The pattern of gross and microscopical lesions of colibacillosis varies individually and according to the virulence of the agent (Oliveira et al 2019). Spleen is one the main organs affected in septicemic forms of colibacillosis, in which it can be grossly enlarged and mottled by pale areas, while microscopically it may exhibit necrosis of follicular centers, hemosiderosis, lymphoid depletion, besides white pulp hyperplasia (Barnes et al 2008, Chansiripornchai 2009).…”

“…Although antibiograms for the isolates obtained were not conducted in this study, previous studies have described resistance of E. coli do a wide array of antibiotics (Dou et al 2016, Borzi et al 2018, including those used in the birds of the present study. Bacterial resistance constitutes a major problem in preventing and controlling infectious diseases world widely (Solà-Ginés et al 2015, Oliveira et al 2019, Kim et al 2020. A common practice that may have favored bacterial resistance in these cases is the administration of subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics at the first week of life of birds, which is employed to reduce subsequent occurrence of infectious diseases.…”

“…In addition, E. coli is a commensal bacterium of the intestinal mucosa of birds (Giovanardi et al 2005, Srinivasan et al 2014, Guabiraba & Schouler 2015. The presence of some predisposing factors, such as stress, poor immune status, coinfections (Dziva & Stevens 2008, Oliveira et al 2019, physiological factors, environmental factors, as well as nutritional factors (Barnes et al 2008), are associated with clinical disease. The disease may occur causing a massive mortality of poultry of multiple ages (Srinivasan et al 2014).…”

“…The disease may occur causing a massive mortality of poultry of multiple ages (Srinivasan et al 2014). The condition is worldwide distributed and constitutes one of the major challenges in industrial and subsistence poultry (Oliveira et al 2019, Kim et al 2020, mainly due to delayed development of affected birds, resulting in uneven batches (Ask et al 2006), decreased egg production and condemnation of carcasses at the slaughter (Barnes et al 2008, Al-Arfaj et al 2016. Colibacillosis may present as a located or systemic condition (Cavero et al 2009, Kabir 2010, Guabiraba & Schouler 2015, with the main clinical signs characterized by polyserositis, coligranuloma, omphalitis, septicemia, enteritis, and salpingitis (Barnes et al 2008, Kabir 2010.…”

Molecular Detection of Some Virulence Genes of E.COLI Isolates From Meat and Meat Product in Port-Said Governorate

“…It can help to distinguish E. coli isolates from meat and meat products through detection of virulence genes (Kimata et al, 2005). Our study revealed that iss gene was detected in 6/10 (60%) E. coli isolates while the highest result 100% recorded by Jørgensen et al (2019), Oliveira et al (2019) and Marwa Hassan et al (2020) and the lowest 20%, 15.2 and 31.8 recorded by, Cyoia et al (2015) and Bok et al (2020) respectively. In the present work, it was found that the prevalence rate of iutA gene was 40% of the tested E. coli isolates, which nearly agree with lopez-banda et al (2014), 48.1% the highest prevalence rate of iutA gene was detected by Hussein et al (2013), Chalmers et al (2017), and Jørgensen et al (2019 in 100%, 93.3% and 96.9% of the E. coli isolates, respectively.…”