Comparative Characteristics and Pathogenic Potential of Escherichia coli Isolates Originating from Poultry Farms, Retail Meat, and Human Urinary Tract Infection

Abstract

The pathogenicity of many bacterial strains is determined by the acquisition of virulence genes and depends on many factors. The aim of this study was to analyse the phylogenetic background, virulence patterns, and drug susceptibility of 132 E. coli isolates tested in the context of the ExPEC (Extraintestinal Pathogenic E. coli) pathotype and the correlation of these features with bacterial isolation source: food (retail meat), poultry farms (AFEC—Avian Faecal E. coli), and patients with UTI (urinary tract infection) symptoms. The drug-susceptibility results of tested E. coli isolates obtained indicate that the resistance profile—ampicillin/tetracycline/trimethoprim+sulfamethoxazole/ciprofloxacin (AMP/TE/SXT/CIP)—was most frequently observed. The multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype was found in 31.8% of isolates from poultry farms, 36.8% of strains isolated from food, and 20% of clinical samples. The greatest similarity of virulence profiles applied to isolates derived from poultry farms and food. Most of the AFEC from poultry farms and food-derived isolates belonged to commensals from phylogroups A and B1, while among the isolates from patients with UTI symptoms, the most common was the B2 phylogroup. The collective analysis showed similarity of the three studied groups of E. coli isolates in terms of the presented patterns of antimicrobial resistance, while the virulence profiles of the isolates studied showed great diversity. The phylogroup analysis showed no similarity between the poultry/food isolates and the UTI isolates, which had significant pathogenic potential.

Antibiotic resistance in Italian poultry meat production chain: a one-health perspective comparing antibiotic free and conventional systems from the farming to the slaughterhouse

“…The published researches, mainly focused on Salmonella spp., E. coli and Campylobacter spp. Isolates, showed similar resistance profiles (Nguyen et al, 2021;Sarowska et al, 2022;Ščerbová et al, 2022). In addition, two investigated Salmonella strains showed MDR patterns, harboring the correspondent target genes sul and nfs, arising a potential risk for transmission to consumers of these pathogens (Parvin et al, 2020).…”

Microbiological and pathological studies of concurrent infections associated with retarded growth in broilers in Behira governorate

“…This factor is produced by strains of EPEC, facilitating their adherence on the enterocytes and subsequently causing attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions that is resulted in loss of intestinal microvilli, which can explain the occurrence of diarrhea and growth retardation (Santos et al 2020 andBertelloni et al 2022). The virulence factor (iss gene) of septicemic E. coli strains, encodes protein that is associated with the bactericidal resistance to the serum and production of systemic and localized infections (López et al 2017, Sarowska et al 2022, Wilczyński et al 2022. This gene was determined in 60% from the identified isolates (Fig.…”

Comprehensive Probiogenomics Analysis of the Commensal Escherichia Coli CEC15 as a Potential Probiotic Strain

“…CEC15 clusters within the phylogroup B1, and EcN within B2. Among the E. coli phylogroups, the phylogroup B2 is the one most often associated with infections, especially urinary tract-related, and sepsis, followed by phylogroups A and D [39,40], while members of the phylogroup B1 are more widely related to intestinal commensal bacteria of healthy animals [41]. In line with this result, CEC15 belongs to the O180:H14 serotype, which is mostly associated with non-pathogenic strains [42,43], while the EcN serotype is O6:H1, a serotype often associated with pathogenic strains, especially enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) [44][45][46].…”