Avian Pathogenic Escherichia Coli and its Antibiotic Resistance

• Дата: 2024
• Автори: Nechypurenko, O.O., Avdeeva, L.V., Dreval, D.V., Sobko, I.O., Нечипуренко, О.О., Авдєєва, Л.В., Древаль, Д.В., Собко, І.О.
• Формат: Стаття
• Мова: English
• Опубліковано: PH "Akademperiodyka" of the NAS of Ukraine 2024
• Онлайн доступ: https://ojs.microbiolj.org.ua/index.php/mj/article/view/255
• Назва журналу: Microbiological Journal

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a widely distributed pathogen and one of the main death causes in poultry farming. Also, these bacteria are harmful food-born pathogens with multiple virulence factors and pathogenicity that could be dangerous for humans. Moreover, APEC is characterized by a wide range of resistance to antimicrobials which successfully transmit to other microbes. Therefore, the aim of the work was to define the frequency of APEC isolation in dead birds during 2015–2022, as well as to investigate its resistance to antibiotics. Methods. During the investigation, the routine autopsy was made on dead birds of different ages from broiler, layer, and broiler-breeder poultry farms in Ukraine.  The type and severity of lesions were evaluated as characterized by 0 to 3 points. Then bacteriological examination was provided with further biochemical identification through Api20 E and APi20 NE tests. The susceptibility to antibiotics of identified E. coli was detected by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method regarding CLSI data. Results. 1427 birds from 113 poultry farms were examined, and as a result, 1806 bacterial isolates were detected, among which 1183 were referred to APEC. The frequency of detection of APEC isolates in dead birds was 82.9%.  Most often APEC-induced severe lesions (3 points) such as fibrinous perihepatitis, pericarditis, and peritonitis. The most effective antibiotics were colistin, gentamicin, ceftiofur, florfenicol, and norfloxacin, to which activity 91.6, 85.6, 63.9, 61.0, and 52.1 % of isolated APEC strains, respectively, were susceptible, However, more than 50 % of detected APEC were resistant to amoxicillin, amoxiclav, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, flumequine, and enrofloxacin. Moreover, 59.4 % of isolated bacteria were multi-resistant and avoided negative impact of more than 6 antibiotics.  Conclusions. Avian pathogenic E. coli was considered one of the leading bacteria agents in the poultry industry of Ukraine, because 82.9 % of birds were infected with the systemic form of colibacillosis. The largest number of resistant isolates during 2015–2022 was detected to flumequine (78.5 %), amoxicillin (78.4 %), amoxiclav (69.3 %), oxytetracycline (75.5 %), and doxycycline (58.3 %). The resistance to tetracyclines and quinolones increased dramatically through the years. It is therefore necessary to implement a new strategy for controlling APEC distribution based not only on rational antibiotic treatment but also on complex diagnostic and further immunization.