Retail Chicken Carcasses as a Reservoir of Antimicrobial- Resistant Escherichia coli

The dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) bacteria has been associated with the inappropriate use of antibiotics in both humans and animals and with the consumption of food contaminated with resistant bacteria. In particular, the use of antibiotics as prophylactic and growth promotion purposes in food-producing animals has rendered many of the antibiotics ineffective. The increased global prevalence of AMR poses a significant threat to the safety of the world’s food supply. Objectives: This study aims at determining the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from local and imported retail chicken meat in Qatar. Methodology: A total of 270 whole chicken carcasses were obtained from three different hypermarket stores in Qatar. A total of 216 E. coli were isolated and subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing against 18 relevant antibiotics using disc diffusion and micro- dilution methods. Furthermore, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production was determined via a double-disc synergetic test. Isolates harboring colistin resistance were confirmed using multiplex-PCR and DNA sequencing. Results: Nearly 89% (192/216) of the isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotics. In general, isolates showed relatively higher resistance to sulfamethoxazole (62%), tetracycline (59.7%), ampicillin and trimethoprim (52.3%), ciprofloxacin (47.7%), cephalothin, and colistin (31.9%). On the other hand, less resistance was recorded against amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (6%), ceftriaxone (5.1%), nitrofurantoin (4.2%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (4.2%), cefepime (2.3%), meropenem (1.4%), ertapenem (0.9%), and amikacin (0.9%). Nine isolates (4.2%) were ESBL producers. Furthermore, 63.4% were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The percentage of MDR, ESBL producers, and colistin-resistant isolates was significantly higher among local isolates compared to imported chicken samples. Conclusion: We reported a remarkably high percentage of the antibiotic-resistant E. coli in chicken meat sold at retail in Qatar. The high percentage of MDR and colistin isolates is troublesome to the food safety of raw chicken meat and the potential of antibiotic resistance spread to public health. Our findings support the need for the implementation of one health approach to address the spread of antimicrobial resistance and the need for a collaborative solution.

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Abundance of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli harbouring mcr-1 and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli co-harbouring blaCTX-M-55 or -65 with blaTEM isolates from chicken meat in Vietnam

10.21203/rs.3.rs-904323/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tatsuya Nakayama ◽

Le Thi Hien ◽

Ngo Thanh Phong ◽

Doan Nguyen Minh Tran ◽

Oanh Thi Hoang Nguyen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Food Contamination ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Chicken Meat ◽

Health Concern ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Antibiotic Resistant ◽

E Coli ◽

Carbapenem Resistant ◽

Extended Spectrum

Abstract Although the spread of plasmid-mediated antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a public health concern, food contamination with plasmid-mediated antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli has not been well investigated in Vietnam. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of colistin-resistant, carbapenem-resistant and endemic blaCTX−M in extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli isolates. Colistin- and carbapenem-resistant ESBL-producing E. coli were isolated from chickens in Vietnam and Japan. The results showed that 52% and 93% of Vietnamese chicken was isolated with colistin-resistant and AmpC/ESBL-producing E. coli, respectively, while 52.7% of Japanese chickens were isolated with AmpC/ESBL-producing E. coli. Carbapenem-resistant E. coli has not been isolated in Vietnam or Japan. Genotyping revealed that colistin-resistant E. coli harboured mcr-1, and most of the AmpC/ESBL-related genes were blaCTX−M−55 and blaCTX−M−65 together with blaTEM in Vietnamese chickens, and blaCMY−2 in Japanese chickens. Multidrug resistance analysis showed that ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were more resistant to quinolones, streptomycin, and chloramphenicol compared with colistin-resistant E. coli isolates from Vietnam, suggesting selection in ESBL-producing E. coli for multiple antibiotic resistance genes. In conclusion, colistin-resistant E. coli was detected in about half of the chicken meat samples, the majority of which were found to harbour mcr-1. The high prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli has remained constant across the last five years, and the predominant blaCTX−M for ESBL-producing E. coli was found to be blaCTX−M−55 or blaCTX−M−65, with the coexistence of blaTEM in Vietnam. Our results can be implemented in monitoring systems to combat the development of antimicrobial resistance.

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Isolation and molecular characterization of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli from chicken meat

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-78367-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Md. Masudur Rahman ◽

Asmaul Husna ◽

Hatem A. Elshabrawy ◽

Jahangir Alam ◽

Nurjahan Yasmin Runa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Broiler Chicken ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Chicken Meat ◽

The Other ◽

Antibiotic Resistant ◽

E Coli ◽

Layer Chicken

AbstractAntibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) are common in retail poultry products. In this study, we aimed to isolate and characterize multidrug resistant (MDR) E. coli in raw chicken meat samples collected from poultry shops in Sylhet division, Bangladesh, as well as to determine correlation between resistance phenotype and genotype. A total of 600 chicken meat swabs (divided equally between broiler and layer farms, n = 300 each) were collected and the isolates identified as E. coli (n = 381) were selected. Disc diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility assay showed resistance of these isolates to ampicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) identified several antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in our isolates. Among these ARGs, the prevalence of tetA (for tetracycline) was the highest (72.58%) in broiler chicken isolates, followed by sul1 (for sulfonamide; 44.16%), aadA1 (for streptomycin; 33.50%), ereA (for erythromycin; 27.41%), aac-3-IV (for gentamicin; 25.38%), and the two genes cmlA (24.87%) and catA1 (8.63%) for chloramphenicol. On the other hand, the respective prevalence in layer chicken isolates were 82.06%, 47.83%, 35.87%, 35.33%, 23.91%, 19.02%, and 5.43%. Furthermore, 49.23% of the isolates from broiler chicken were MDR, with the presence of multiple antibiotic resistance genes, including 3 (40.11%) and 4 (9.13%) genes. On the other hand, 51.09% of layer chicken E. coli isolates were MDR, with 3, 4 or 5 ARGs detected in 36.41%, 14.13%, and 0.54% of the isolates, respectively. We also found that 12.8% of broiler chicken E. coli isolates and 7.61% of layer chicken isolates carried genes coding for extended-spectrum SHV beta-lactamases. Lastly, we report the presence of the AmpC beta-lactamase producing gene (CITM) in 4.56% and 3.26% of broiler and layer chicken E. coli isolates, respectively. We found significant correlations between most of the antimicrobial resistant phenotypes and genotypes observed among the investigated E. coli isolates. Our findings highlight the need for the prudent use of antimicrobials in chickens to minimize the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains.

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Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus spp. in Houseflies and Blowflies from Farms and Their Environmental Settings

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16193583 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (19) ◽

pp. 3583 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Anil Poudel ◽

Terri Hathcock ◽

Patrick Butaye ◽

Yuan Kang ◽

Stuart Price ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus ◽

Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase ◽

E Coli ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance Genes ◽

Staphylococcus Spp

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is rising globally at an alarming rate. While multiple active surveillance programs have been established to monitor the antimicrobial resistance, studies on the environmental link to antimicrobial spread are lacking. Methods: A total of 493 flies were trapped from a dairy unit, a dog kennel, a poultry farm, a beef cattle unit, an urban trash facility and an urban downtown area to isolate Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus spp. for antimicrobial susceptibility testing and molecular characterization. Results: E. coli, K. pneumoniae and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus were recovered from 43.9%, 15.5% and 66.2% of the houseflies, and 26.0%, 19.2%, 37.0% of the blowflies, respectively. In total, 35.3% of flies were found to harbor antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and 9.0% contained multidrug-resistant isolates. Three Staphylococcus aureus isolates were recovered from blowflies while three extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL)-carrying E. coli and one ESBL-carrying K. pneumoniae were isolated from houseflies. Whole genome sequencing identified the antimicrobial resistance genes blaCMY-2 and blaCTXM-1 as ESBLs. Conclusion: Taken together, our data indicate that flies can be used as indicators for environmental contamination of antimicrobial resistance. More extensive studies are warranted to explore the sentinel role of flies for antimicrobial resistance.

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Molecular Characterization of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates from Edible Offal in Korea

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-18-458 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 82 (7) ◽

pp. 1183-1190

Author(s):

SE HYUN SON ◽

KWANG WON SEO ◽

YEONG BIN KIM ◽

HYE YOUNG JEON ◽

EUN BI NOH ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Virulence Genes ◽

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Food Product ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

E Coli ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance Genes ◽

Class 1

ABSTRACT Edible offal, which is the nonmuscular part of the livestock, is a popular food product in many countries. However, it can be easily contaminated by bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, during slaughter and processing and regarded as a reservoir for transfer of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to humans. This study aimed to investigate prevalence and characteristics of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli isolates from edible offal in Korea. A total of 320 chicken offal samples, 540 pig offal samples, and 560 cattle offal samples were collected. Among the 118 E. coli isolates obtained, resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent was revealed in 32 (100%), 46 (95.8%), and 26 (68.4%) isolates of chicken, pig, and cattle offals, respectively, with an overall prevalence of 88.1% (104 of 118). The isolates from chicken offal showed highest resistance to most antimicrobial agents, with the exception of higher ampicillin resistance for isolates from pig offal. In the distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes of 69 (58.5%) multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli, blaTEM-1 (97.1%), tetA (76.6%), sul2 (70.6%), and cmlA (57.4%) were most prevalent. Class 1 and class 2 integrons were detected in 82.6 and 2.9% of the MDR isolates, respectively. In total, seven virulence genes (eaeA, escV, astA, fimH, papC, sfa/focDE, and iucC) were also identified in the MDR isolates. The fimH gene was the most frequent (91.3%). Overall, 52 isolates from chicken (24 isolates, 96.0%), pig (16 isolates, 55.2%) and cattle (12 isolates, 80.0%) offals among MDR isolates were found to have some plasmid replicons. Frep (38 isolates) and FIB (27 isolates) replicons were more prevalent than other replicon types. The results suggest that edible offal can become a relevant reservoir of E. coli strains carrying various antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes. HIGHLIGHTS

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Predominance of blaTEM and tetA genes in antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from Laguna Lake, Philippines

Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development ◽

10.2166/washdev.2021.067 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Daile Meek Salvador-Membreve ◽

Windell L. Rivera

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

The Philippines ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Antibiotic Resistant ◽

E Coli ◽

Laguna Lake ◽

Antibiotic Genes

Abstract Lakes are one of the sinks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs); however, information on ARB and ARGs in lakes in the Philippines is scarce. In this study, Escherichia coli was isolated from the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines, Laguna Lake, to detect antibiotic resistance and the presence of ARGs. Broth microdilution assay (BMA) and molecular identification of five environmentally prevalent ARGs (strA, blaCTX-M, blaSHV, blaTEM, and tetA) were performed. The majority (75.70%) of the isolates harbored at least one of the targeted antibiotic genes. Multiplex PCR detected about 49.07% of the isolates had genes for extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL), which were mostly represented by blaTEM (47.66%). The genes strA and tetA were observed in this study with detection frequencies of 29.91 and 45.33%, respectively. About 95.69% of thermotolerant E. coli isolates were non-susceptible to six different antibiotics using BMA. Nearly 37% of the isolates were found to be multidrug-resistant (MDR) with most isolates resistant to ampicillin (81.72%). Furthermore, the occurrence of ESBL genes was significantly correlated with tetA genes (P = 0.013). To date, this study is the first to report on the presence of MDR and thermotolerant E. coli in Laguna Lake, Philippines.

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Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing strains among diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli—prospective traveller study with literature review

Journal of Travel Medicine ◽

10.1093/jtm/taab042 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anu Kantele ◽

Tinja Lääveri

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Literature Review ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Middle Income ◽

Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase ◽

E Coli ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Overall Resistance ◽

Esbl Producers

Abstract Background Antibiotics are no longer the primary approach for treating all travellers’ diarrhoea (TD): most cases resolve without antibiotics and using them predisposes to colonization by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Data are accumulating on increasing resistance among TD pathogens, yet research into the most common agents, diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC), remains limited. Methods A total of 413 travellers to the (sub)tropics were analyzed for travel-acquired diarrhoeal pathogens and ESBL-PE. To identify ESBL-producing DEC, ESBL-producing E. coli (ESBL-EC) isolates were subjected to multiplex qPCR for various DEC pathotypes: enteroaggregative (EAEC), enteropathogenic (EPEC), enterotoxigenic (ETEC), enteroinvasive (EIEC) and enterohaemorrhagic (EHEC) E. coli. For a literature review, we screened studies among travellers and locals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) on the frequency of ESBL-producing DEC, and among travellers, also DEC with resistance to ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, and rifamycin derivatives. Results Our rate of ESBL-EC among all DEC findings was 2.7% (13/475); among EAEC 5.7% (10/175), EPEC 1.1% (2/180), ETEC 1.3% (1/80) and EHEC (0/35) or EIEC 0% (0/5). The literature search yielded three studies reporting ESBL-EC frequency and thirteen exploring resistance to TD antibiotics among travel-acquired DEC. For EAEC and ETEC, the ESBL-EC rates were 10–13% and 14–15%, resistance to fluoroquinolones 0–42% and 0–40%, azithromycin 0–29% and 0–61%, and rifaximin 0% and 0–20%. The highest rates were from the most recent collections. Proportions of ESBL-producing DEC also appear to be increasing among locals in LMICs and even carbapenemase-producing DEC were reported. Conclusion ESBL producers are no longer rare among DEC, and the overall resistance to various antibiotics is increasing. The data predict decreasing efficacy of antibiotic treatment, threatening its benefits, for disadvantages still prevail when efficacy is lost.

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Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria from Raw Meat of Buffalo and Chicken, Nepal

Veterinary Medicine International ◽

10.1155/2019/7960268 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Bhuvan Saud ◽

Govinda Paudel ◽

Sharmila Khichaju ◽

Dipendra Bajracharya ◽

Gunaraj Dhungana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Bacterial Growth ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Chicken Meat ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Raw Meat ◽

Buffalo Meat ◽

Meat Samples

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global issue for human and animals. Increased use of antimicrobials in livestock and poultry has become one of the causes of antimicrobial resistance development in microorganisms. The aim of the study was to characterize antimicrobial resistant bacteria from raw buffalo and chicken meat in standard in vitro condition. A total of 140 raw meat samples were collected from different retail shops of Bhaktapur Metropolitan City, Nepal. Among them, 70 were raw buffalo meat and 70 were raw chicken meat samples. Bacterial growth, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility test were performed according to Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Out of 140 samples, bacterial growth was seen in 67 raw buffalo meat and 59 raw chicken meat samples, i.e., bacterial growth was observed in 90.0% of the samples. A total of 161 bacterial isolates were detected. Escherichia coli (35.4%) and Klebsiella spp. (30.4%) were found to be the most prevalent bacteria followed by Citrobacter spp. (11.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (9.3%), Salmonella spp. (7.4%), and Proteus spp. (5.5%). Chicken meat isolates showed higher antimicrobial resistance rates in comparison to buffalo meat isolates, particularly against antimicrobials like Amoxicillin, Tetracycline, Cotrimoxazole and Nalidixic acid, p value<0.05 when compared between buffalo and chicken meat. Overall, 32.7% Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) isolates were found, in which 50.0% MDR isolates were found from chicken raw meat and 21.9% were found from buffalo raw meat. MDR isolates of Escherichia coli, Proteus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus constituted 52.5%, 77.7% and 40.0%, respectively, of both buffalo and chicken raw meat. This study indicates antimicrobials resistant bacteria existing at an alarming rate, higher in chicken meat than in buffalo meat.

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Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates from Local and Imported Retail Chicken Carcasses

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/jfp-20-113 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 83 (12) ◽

pp. 2200-2208

Author(s):

NAHLA O. ELTAI ◽

HADI M. YASSINE ◽

TAHRA EL-OBEID ◽

SARA H. AL-HADIDI ◽

ASMAA A. AL THANI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Chicken Meat ◽

Diffusion Method ◽

Bacterial Strains ◽

Disk Diffusion Method ◽

Antibiotic Resistant ◽

E Coli ◽

Multiplex Pcr Assay ◽

Synergy Test

ABSTRACT The spread of antibiotic resistance among bacterial strains has been associated with consumption of food contaminated with both pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli isolates in local and imported retail raw chicken meat in Qatar. A total of 270 locally produced (chilled) and imported (chilled or frozen) whole chicken carcasses were obtained from three Hypermarket stores in Qatar. The 216 E. coli isolates recovered from the chicken samples were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing with the disk diffusion method. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production was evaluated with the double disk synergy test. Isolates harboring colistin resistance were identified with a multiplex PCR assay and DNA sequencing. Nearly 89% (192) of the 216 isolates were resistant to at least one of the 18 antibiotics tested. Isolates from local and imported chicken carcasses had relatively higher resistance to sulfamethoxazole (62% of isolates), tetracycline (59.7%), ampicillin and trimethoprim (52.3% each), ciprofloxacin (47.7%), cephalothin (45.4%), and colistin (31.9%). Less resistance was found to amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (6%), ceftriaxone (5.1%), nitrofurantoin (4.2%), piperacillin-tazobactam (4.2%), cefepime (2.3%), meropenem (1.4%), ertapenem (0.9%), and amikacin (0.9%). Nine isolates (4.2%) were ESBL producers, and 137 (63.4%) were multidrug resistant. The percentages of multidrug-resistant, ESBL-producing, and colistin resistant isolates were significantly higher among isolates from local chilled than from imported chilled and frozen chicken samples. Our findings indicate the high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in chicken meat sold at retail in Qatar. HIGHLIGHTS

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Multiresistant Bacteria Isolated from Intestinal Faeces of Farm Animals in Austria

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10040466 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 466

Author(s):

Herbert Galler ◽

Josefa Luxner ◽

Christian Petternel ◽

Franz F. Reinthaler ◽

Juliana Habib ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meat Products ◽

Animal Husbandry ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Farm Animals ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽

Antibiotic Resistant ◽

E Coli ◽

Multiresistant Bacteria ◽

Vancomycin Resistant

In recent years, antibiotic-resistant bacteria with an impact on human health, such as extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-containing Enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), have become more common in food. This is due to the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, which leads to the promotion of antibiotic resistance and thus also makes food a source of such resistant bacteria. Most studies dealing with this issue usually focus on the animals or processed food products to examine the antibiotic resistant bacteria. This study investigated the intestine as another main habitat besides the skin for multiresistant bacteria. For this purpose, faeces samples were taken directly from the intestines of swine (n = 71) and broiler (n = 100) during the slaughter process and analysed. All samples were from animals fed in Austria and slaughtered in Austrian slaughterhouses for food production. The samples were examined for the presence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, MRSA, MRCoNS and VRE. The resistance genes of the isolated bacteria were detected and sequenced by PCR. Phenotypic ESBL-producing Escherichia coli could be isolated in 10% of broiler casings (10 out of 100) and 43.6% of swine casings (31 out of 71). In line with previous studies, the results of this study showed that CTX-M-1 was the dominant ESBL produced by E. coli from swine (n = 25, 83.3%) and SHV-12 from broilers (n = 13, 81.3%). Overall, the frequency of positive samples with multidrug-resistant bacteria was lower than in most comparable studies focusing on meat products.

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Prevalence and Characterization of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Ready-to-Eat Street Foods

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10070850 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 850

Author(s):

Shobha Giri ◽

Vaishnavi Kudva ◽

Kalidas Shetty ◽

Veena Shetty

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Food Safety ◽

Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Microbiological Quality ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Antibiotic Resistant ◽

E Coli ◽

Extended Spectrum

As the global urban populations increase with rapid migration from rural areas, ready-to-eat (RTE) street foods are posing food safety challenges where street foods are prepared with less structured food safety guidelines in small and roadside outlets. The increased presence of extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria in street foods is a significant risk for human health because of its epidemiological significance. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae have become important and dangerous foodborne pathogens globally for their relevance to antibiotic resistance. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the potential burden of antibiotic-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae contaminating RTE street foods and to assess the microbiological quality of foods in a typical emerging and growing urban suburb of India where RTE street foods are rapidly establishing with public health implications. A total of 100 RTE food samples were collected of which, 22.88% were E. coli and 27.12% K. pneumoniae. The prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae was 25.42%, isolated mostly from chutneys, salads, paani puri, and chicken. Antimicrobial resistance was observed towards cefepime (72.9%), imipenem (55.9%), cefotaxime (52.5%), and meropenem (16.9%) with 86.44% of the isolates with MAR index above 0.22. Among β-lactamase encoding genes, blaTEM (40.68%) was the most prevalent followed by blaCTX (32.20%) and blaSHV (10.17%). blaNDM gene was detected in 20.34% of the isolates. This study indicated that contaminated RTE street foods present health risks to consumers and there is a high potential of transferring multi-drug-resistant bacteria from foods to humans and from person to person as pathogens or as commensal residents of the human gut leading to challenges for subsequent therapeutic treatments.

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