Screening of AmpC-/ESBL-producing Escherichia coli isolates from livestock for STEC/EHEC virulence genes


Keywords:
AmpC ESBL Escherichia coli fliCH7 multidrug resistant
F PEHLIVANOGLU
Abstract

Livestock is an important reservoir of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (STEC/EHEC) strains and acts as a significant source of transmission to humans. In addition to the virulence of STEC/EHEC isolates, antibiotic resistance is also an escalating problem in these bacteria and increases the risk to public health. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore E. coli O157:H7 serotype and STEC/EHEC virulence genes in AmpC- and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli isolates from cattle, chicken and sheep. A total of 61 confirmed AmpC- or ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were screened for the virulence genes (stx1, stx2, eae, ehxA, espP, katP and saa) and E. coli O157 (rfbO157) and H7 (fliCH7) genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). None of the ESBL-producing E. coli was positive for these genes, but six multidrug-resistant AmpC-producing E. coli were positive for the fliCH7 gene only. When considering the function of the H7 flagellar antigen of E. coli, it may be concluded that the development of ESBL/AmpC beta-lactamase production in the E. coli isolates with H7 flagella, which reside in the chicken intestine, may be potentially important for public health regarding both virulence and antimicrobial resistance.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Research Articles
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Bai J, Paddock ZD, Shi X, Li S, An B, Nagaraja TG (2012) Application of a multiplex PCR to detect the seven major shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli based on genes that code for serogroup-specific O-antigens and major virulence factors in cattle feces. Foodborne Pathog Dis, 9: 541-548.
Bugarel M, Martin A, Fach P, Beutin L (2011) Virulence gene profiling of enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) and enteropathogenic (EPEC) Escherichia coli strains: a basis for molecular risk assessment of typical and atypical EPEC strains. BMC Microbiol, 11: 142.
Delannoy S, Beutin L, Mariani-Kurkdjian P, Fleiss A, Bonacorsi S, Fach P (2017) The Escherichia coli serogroup O1 and O2 lipopolysaccharides are encoded by multiple O-antigen gene clusters.Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 7:30.
Haiko J, Westerlund-Wikström B (2013) The role of the bacterial flagellum in adhesion and virulence. Biology (Basel), 2: 1242-1267.
Huijbers PMC, Graat EAM, Haenen APJ, Van Santen MG, Van Essen-Zandbergen A, Mevius DJ, Van Duijkeren E, Van Hoek AHAM (2014)Extended-spectrum and AmpC β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in broilers and people living and/or working on broiler farms: prevalence, risk factors and molecular characteristics. J Antimicrob Chemother, 69:2669-2675.
Osek J (2003) Development of a multiplex PCR approach for the identification of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains and their major virulence factor genes. JAppl Microbiol, 95:1217-1225.
Paton AW, Paton JC (2002) Direct detection and characterization of Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli by multiplex PCR for stx1, stx2, eae, ehxA and saa. J Clin Microbiol, 40: 271-274.
Pehlivanoglu F (2017) Existence of Plasmidic AmpC beta lactamase producing Escherichia coli isolates in healthy laying hens. Van Vet J, 28:63-67.
Pehlivanoglu F, Turutoglu H, Ozturk D, Yardimci H (2016) Molecular characterisation of Escherichia coli isolated from healthy cattle and sheep. Acta Vet-Beograd, 66: 520-533.
Pehlivanoglu F, Turutoglu H, Ozturk D, Yardimci H (2017) Characterisation of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing fecal Escherichia coli isolates in laying hens. Ankara UnivVet Fak Derg, 64: 301-306.
Posse B, Zutter LD, Heyndrickx M, Herman L (2007) Metabolic and genetic profiling of clinical O157 and non-O157 shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Res Microbiol, 158: 591-599.
Reid SD, Selander RK, Whittam TS (1999) Sequence diversity of flagellin (fliC) alleles in pathogenic Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol, 181:153-160.
Venegas-Vargas C, Henderson S, Khare A, Mosci RE, Lehnert JD, Singh P, Ouellette LM, Norby B, Funk JA, Rust S, BartlettPC, Grooms D, Manning SD (2018)Factors associated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli shedding by dairy and beef cattle. Appl Environ Microbiol, 82: 5049-5056.
Wang L, Rothemund D, Curd H, Reeves PR (2003) Species-wide variation in the Escherichia coli flagellin (H-Antigen) gene. JBacteriol, 185:2936-2943.
WHO (World Health Organisation) (2017) Global priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to guide research, discovery, and development of new antibiotics. https://www.who.int/medicines/publications/global-priority-list-antibiotic-resistant-acteria/en/[accessed 15 May 2020]