Evaluation of the Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence of Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Chicken Carcasses in 2007 and 2013 from Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

The frequent use of antimicrobials in commercial poultry production has raised concerns regarding the potential impact of antimicrobials on human health due to selection for resistant bacteria. Several studies have reported similarities between extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains isolated from birds and humans, indicating that these contaminant bacteria in poultry may be linked to human disease. The aim of our study was to analyze the frequency of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors among E. coli strains isolated from commercial chicken carcasses in Paraná, Brazil, in 2007 and 2013. A total of 84 E. coli strains were isolated from chicken carcasses in 2007, and 121 E. coli strains were isolated in 2013. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect virulence genes (hlyF, iss, ompT, iron, and iutA) and to determine phylogenetic classification. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using 15 antimicrobials. The strains were also confirmed as extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli with phenotypic and genotypic tests. The results indicated that our strains harbored virulence genes characteristic of ExPEC, with the iutA gene being the most prevalent. The phylogenetic groups D and B1 were the most prevalent among the strains isolated in 2007 and 2013, respectively. There was an increase in the frequency of resistance to a majority of antimicrobials tested. An important finding in this study was the large number of ESBL-producing E. coli strains isolated from chicken carcasses in 2013, primarily for the group 2 cefotaximase (CTX-M) enzyme. ESBL production confers broad-spectrum resistance and is a health risk because ESBL genes are transferable from food-producing animals to humans via poultry meat. These findings suggest that our strains harbored virulence and resistance genes, which are often associated with plasmids that can facilitate their transmission between bacteria derived from different hosts, suggesting zoonotic risks.

Virulence potential of commensal multidrug resistant Escherichia coli isolated from poultry in Brazil

“…The gene iutA promotes increased capacity to colonize the humans and was found in > 80% of the isolates studied in this work. This gene was also the most identified in E. coli isolated from commercial chicken carcasses in Brazil (Koga et al 2015). The gene KpsMT II (polysaccharide capsule marker genes) was found in 70% of the isolates studied.…”

“…The results obtained from this work showed that the apparently commensal E. coli isolates contained many virulence factors associated with colonization and persistence of the isolate thereby increasing the potential to cause disease in poultry and humans. In Brazil, E. coli isolates from poultry carcasses isolated between 2007 and 2013, showed an increased level of antibiotic resistance and virulence (associated with APEC) in more recent isolates in comparison with isolates from 2007 (Koga et al 2015).…”

Diversity and Antibiotic Resistance of Enterobacteria Isolated From Broilers in a Poultry Farm of Perm Krai: А 14-Year Study

“…Koga с соавт. (11) выявили значительное число изолятов E. coli, продуцирующих -лактамазы расширенного спектра действия (БЛРС, extended-spectrum β-lactamase, ESBL). У сальмонелл, выделенных от птиц, часто обнаруживается множественная устойчивость к антибактериальным препаратам (8,12,13).…”

Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Genetic Characterization of Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing Nosocomial Strains of Escherichia coli Isolated from a Brazilian Teaching Hospital

“…This study reports that over 90% of resistant strains were resistant to two or more antimicrobial drugs. Koga et al, (2015) reported the prevalence of 79.30% of ESBLproducing E. coli strains being resistant to three or four antibiotics, being all the isolates at least resistant to one tested antimicrobial drug (Table 4). …”