Vet World Vol.14 October-2021 Article-12
Research Article
Veterinary World, 14(10): 2662-2669
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2021.2662-2669
Antimicrobial resistance and mcr-1 gene in Escherichia coli isolated from poultry samples submitted to a bacteriology laboratory in South Africa
2. Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
3. Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
4. Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Veterinary Public Health Section, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and recently mobilized colistin resistance (mcr-1) associated colistin resistance among Escherichia coli isolates have been attributed to the overuse of antimicrobials in livestock production. E. coli remains an important pathogen, often associated with mortality and low carcass weight in poultry medicine; therefore, the need to use antimicrobials is common. The study aimed to determine the AMR profile and presence of mcr-1 and mcr-2 genes in avian pathogenic E. coli from poultry samples tested at a bacteriology laboratory for routine diagnosis. This is a first step in understanding the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.
Materials and Methods: Fifty E. coli strains were assessed for resistance against ten antimicrobial drugs using broth microdilution. All isolates with a colistin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 μg/mL were analyzed for the presence of mcr-1 and mcr-2 genes by employing the polymerase chain reaction. For each isolate, the following farm information was obtained: farm location, type of farm, and on-farm use of colistin.
Results: Sixty-eight percent of the strains were resistant to at least one antimicrobial; 44% were multiple drug-resistant (MDR). Most E. coli isolates were resistant to doxycycline (44%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (38%), ampicillin (32%), and enrofloxacin (32%). None of the E. coli strains was resistant to colistin sulfate (MIC90 of 2 μg/mL). Only one E. coli isolate held the mcr-1 gene; none carried the mcr-2 gene.
Conclusion: Resistance among E. coli isolates in this study was fairly high. Resistance to commonly used antimicrobials was observed, such as doxycycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and enrofloxacin. Only a single E. coli strain carried the mcr-1 gene, suggesting that mcr-1 and mcr-2 genes are common among isolates in this study. The prevalence of AMR, however, suggests that farmers must implement standard biosecurity measures to reduce E. coli burden, and antimicrobial use to prolong the efficacy life span of some of these drugs. Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, colistin, Escherichia coli, mobilized colistin resistance-1, poultry.
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, colistin, Escherichia coli, mobilized colistin resistance-1, poultry.
How to cite this article: Hassan IZ, Wandrag B, Gouws JJ, Qekwana DN, Naidoo V (2021) Antimicrobial resistance and mcr-1 gene in Escherichia coli isolated from poultry samples submitted to a bacteriology laboratory in South Africa, Veterinary World, 14(10): 2662-2669.
Received: 24-04-2021 Accepted: 02-09-2021 Published online: 20-10-2021
Corresponding author: Ibrahim Z. Hassan E-mail: aburo001@gmail.com
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.2662-2669
Copyright: Hassan, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.