Infections associated with Escherichia coli are responsible for immense losses in poultry production; moreover, poultry products may serve as a source of pathogenic and/or resistant strains for humans. As early as during the first hours of life, commercially hatched chickens are colonized with potentially pathogenic E. coli from the environment of hatcheries. The source of contamination has not been quite elucidated and the possibility of vertical spread of several avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) lineages has been suggested, making the hatcheries an important node where cross-contamination of chicken of different origin can take place. The recent technological progress makes the method of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) widely accessible, allowing high-throughput analysis of a large amount of isolates. Whole-genome sequencing offers an opportunity to trace APEC and extended-spectrum/plasmid-encoded AmpC beta-lactamases-producing E. coli (ESBL/pAmpC-E.coli) along the poultry processing chain and to recognize the potential pathways of “epidemicˮ sequence types. Data from WGS may be used in monitoring antimicrobial resistance, comparative pathogenomic studies describing new virulence traits and their role in pathogenesis and, above all, epidemiologic monitoring of clonal outbreaks and description of different transmission routes and their significance. This review attempts to outline the complexity of poultry-associated E. coli issues and the possibility to employ WGS in elucidating them.

We investigated the presence and epidemiological relatedness of Salmonella isolates from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Brno, Czech Republic and from nestlings of black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) at the Nove Mlyny waterworks, situated 35 km downstream from the WWTP. During 2012, we collected 37 wastewater samples and 284 gull cloacal swabs. From wastewater samples, we obtained 89 Salmonella isolates belonging to 19 serotypes. At least one resistant strain was contained in 89% of those samples. Ten different serotypes of Salmonella were detected in 38 young gulls, among which 14 (37%) were resistant to antimicrobials. Wastewater isolates were mostly resistant to sulphonamides and tetracycline, gull isolates to tetracycline and ampicillin. We detected the occurrence of blaTEM-1,tet(A), tet(B), tet(G), sul1, sul2, sul3, floR and strA resistance genes. For the first time, we identified a class 1 integron with the dfrA12-orfF-aadA2 gene cassette in S. Infantis. Using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, we confirmed the presence of identical clusters of S. Agona, S. Enteritidis PT8, S. Infantis and S. Senftenberg in wastewater and black-headed gulls, thus indicating the possibility of resistant Salmonella isolates spreading over long distances in the environment.

• MeSH
• Drug Resistance, Bacterial genetics   MeSH
• Charadriiformes microbiology   MeSH
• Environmental Monitoring MeSH
• Wastewater microbiology   MeSH
• Salmonella enterica genetics   MeSH
• Salmonella Infections, Animal epidemiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

• Publication type
• Meeting Abstract MeSH

Extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing, AmpC beta-lactamase-producing, and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) gene-positive strains of Escherichia coli were investigated in wintering rooks (Corvus frugilegus) from eight European countries. Fecal samples (n = 1,073) from rooks wintering in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Spain, and Switzerland were examined. Resistant isolates obtained from selective cultivation were screened for ESBL, AmpC, and PMQR genes by PCR and sequencing. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing were performed to reveal their clonal relatedness. In total, from the 1,073 samples, 152 (14%) cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates and 355 (33%) E. coli isolates with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin were found. Eighty-two (54%) of these cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates carried the following ESBL genes: blaCTX-M-1 (n = 39 isolates), blaCTX-M-15 (n = 25), blaCTX-M-24 (n = 4), blaTEM-52 (n = 4), blaCTX-M-14 (n = 2), blaCTX-M-55 (n = 2), blaSHV-12 (n = 2), blaCTX-M-8 (n = 1), blaCTX-M-25 (n = 1), blaCTX-M-28 (n = 1), and an unspecified gene (n = 1). Forty-seven (31%) cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates carried the blaCMY-2 AmpC beta-lactamase gene. Sixty-two (17%) of the E. coli isolates with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin were positive for the PMQR genes qnrS1 (n = 54), qnrB19 (n = 4), qnrS1 and qnrB19 (n = 2), qnrS2 (n = 1), and aac(6')-Ib-cr (n = 1). Eleven isolates from the Czech Republic (n = 8) and Serbia (n = 3) were identified to be CTX-M-15-producing E. coli clone B2-O25b-ST131 isolates. Ninety-one different sequence types (STs) among 191 ESBL-producing, AmpC-producing, and PMQR gene-positive E. coli isolates were determined, with ST58 (n = 15), ST10 (n = 14), and ST131 (n = 12) predominating. The widespread occurrence of highly diverse ESBL- and AmpC-producing and PMQR gene-positive E. coli isolates, including the clinically important multiresistant ST69, ST95, ST117, ST131, and ST405 clones, was demonstrated in rooks wintering in various European countries.

• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology   MeSH
• Genes, Bacterial MeSH
• Drug Resistance, Bacterial * MeSH
• Cephalosporins pharmacology   MeSH
• Escherichia coli classification   drug effects   genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Fluoroquinolones pharmacology   MeSH
• Genotype MeSH
• Multilocus Sequence Typing MeSH
• Plasmids MeSH
• Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
• Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field MeSH
• Crows microbiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe MeSH

It is well understood that Salmonella is carried by animals and in majority of cases as asymptomatic hosts. Surveillance efforts have focused on the role of agriculture and contamination points along the food chain as the main source of human infection; however, very little attention has been paid to the contribution of wildlife in the dissemination of Salmonella and what effect anthropogenic sources have on the circulation of antibiotic resistant Salmonella serovars in wildlife species. A purposive survey was taken of large corvids roosting yearly between November and March in Europe and North America. Two thousand and seven hundred and seventy-eight corvid faecal specimens from 11 countries were submitted for Salmonella spp. culture testing. Presumptive positive isolates were further serotyped, susceptibility tested and analysed for antibiotic resistance genes. Overall, 1.40% (39/2778) (CI = 1.01, 1.90) of samples were positive for Salmonella spp. Salmonella Enteritidis was the most prevalent serovar followed by S. Infantis, S. Montevideo and S. Typhimurium. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was found in the proportion of Salmonella recovered in Europe versus North America. The most variability of serovars within a site was in Kansas, USA with five different serovars recovered. European sites were significantly more likely to yield Salmonella resistant to more than one antibiotic (OR 71.5, P < 0.001, CI = 3.77, 1358) than North American sites, where no resistance was found. Resistance to nalidixic acid, a quinolone, was recovered in nine isolates from four serovars in four different sites across Europe. Large corvids contribute to the transmission and dissemination of Salmonella and resistance genes between human and animal populations and across great distances. This information adds to the knowledge base of zoonotic pathogen prevalence and antibiotic resistance ecology in wild birds.

• MeSH
• Drug Resistance, Bacterial genetics   MeSH
• Feces microbiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
• Bird Diseases epidemiology   microbiology   transmission   MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Salmonella drug effects   genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Salmonella Infections, Animal epidemiology   microbiology   transmission   MeSH
• Salmonella Infections drug therapy   epidemiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Crows microbiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe MeSH
• North America MeSH

• Publication type
• Meeting Abstract MeSH

• Publication type
• Meeting Abstract MeSH

• Publication type
• Meeting Abstract MeSH

OBJECTIVES: Faecal Escherichia coli strains were isolated from great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) and mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), which are commonly occurring waterbirds in Europe, and studied for resistance to cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. METHODS: Cloacal swabs or faeces from great cormorants and mallards in Central Europe were cultivated to isolate Escherichia coli strains with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes. RESULTS: Ten ESBL-producing E. coli with the bla(CTX-M-15) or bla(CTX-M-27) gene were isolated from eight great cormorants (1.6%, n = 499). The bla(CTX-M) genes were harboured by plasmids of F and I1 incompatibility groups. CTX-M-27-producing isolates were identified as the epidemiologically important B2-O25b-ST131 clone. No ESBL-producing E. coli was isolated from 305 mallards. Eight E. coli isolates with PMQR genes [six aac(6')-Ib-cr and two qnrS1] were detected in six great cormorants (1.2%). Seventeen strains with qnrS1 were detected in 17 mallards (6%). The PMQR genes were located on plasmids of incompatibility groups F, N or X2. ESBL and PMQR genes were found on conjugative plasmids, enabling the horizontal spread of resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Both great cormorants and mallards can spread epidemiologically important antimicrobial-resistant E. coli isolates to water bodies throughout Europe.

• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology   MeSH
• Drug Resistance, Bacterial MeSH
• beta-Lactamases secretion   MeSH
• Cephalosporins pharmacology   MeSH
• Quinolones pharmacology   MeSH
• Escherichia coli enzymology   genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Feces microbiology   MeSH
• Cloaca microbiology   MeSH
• Plasmids analysis   MeSH
• Birds microbiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe MeSH

Resistance in Escherichia coli isolates colonizing gastrointestinal tracts of dogs, cats, and their owners in Northern Kenya was investigated with an emphasis on extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). Totals of 47 (22%, n = 216), 2 (4%, n = 50), and 4 (17%, n = 23) CTX-M-15-producing E. coli isolates were obtained from dogs, cats, and humans, respectively. CTX-M-15-producing E. coli isolates with identical PFGE profiles were detected in animals and humans living in the same area.

• MeSH
• beta-Lactamases genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Cephalosporins pharmacology   MeSH
• Quinolones pharmacology   MeSH
• Escherichia coli drug effects   genetics   MeSH
• Cats MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial genetics   MeSH
• Plasmids genetics   MeSH
• Dogs MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Cats MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Dogs MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Kenya MeSH