Antimicrobial resistance pattern of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolated from fecal samples of piglets and pig farm workers of selected organized farms of India

Research (Published online: 26-02-2020)

19. Antimicrobial resistance pattern of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolated from fecal samples of piglets and pig farm workers of selected organized farms of India

Shikha Tamta, Obli Rajendran Vinodh Kumar, Shiv Varan Singh, Bommenahalli Siddaramiah Pruthvishree, Ravichandran Karthikeyan, Ramkumar Rupner, Dharmendra Kumar Sinha and Bhoj Raj Singh

Veterinary World, 13(2): 360-363

Background and Aim: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli are gradually increasing worldwide and carry a serious public threat. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance pattern of ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from fecal samples of piglets and pig farm workers.

Materials and Methods: Fecal samples from <3-month-old piglets (n=156) and farm workers (n=21) were processed for the isolation of ESBL-producing E. coli in MacConkey agar added with 1 μg/mL of cefotaxime. E. coli (piglets=124; farm workers=21) were tested for ESBL production by combined disk method and ESBL E-strip test. Each of the ESBL-positive isolate was subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing. The ESBL-producing E. coli were further processed for genotypic confirmation to CTX-M gene.

Results: A total of 55 (44.4%, 55/124) and nine (42.9%, 9/21) ESBL-producing E. coli were isolated from piglets and farm workers, respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of the ESBL-positive E. coli isolates from piglets and farm workers showed 100% resistance to ceftazidime, cefotaxime, cefotaxime/clavulanic acid, ceftazidime/clavulanic acid, and cefpodoxime. A proportion of 100% (55/55) and 88.9% (8/9) ESBL-positive E. coli were multidrug resistance (MDR) in piglets and farm workers, respectively. On genotypic screening of the ESBL E. coli isolated from piglets (n=55), 15 were positive for the blaCTX-M gene and of the nine ESBL E. coli from farm workers, none were positive for the blaCTX-M gene.

Conclusion: Although there was no significant difference in isolation of ESBL-producing E. coli between piglets and farm workers, the ESBL-positive E. coli from piglets showed relatively higher MDR than farm workers.

Keywords: CTX-M gene, India, multidrug resistance, organized farm, piglets, workers.