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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #396077
Research Project: Alternatives to Antibiotics and Genomics of Antimicrobial Resistance to Control Foodborne Pathogens in Poultry

Location: Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit

Title: ß-lactamase producing Escherichia coli encoding blaCTX-M and blaCMY genes in chicken carcasses from Egypt

Author
item ABO-ALMAGD, ELHAM ELSAYED - Mansoura University
item SABALAB, RANA FAHMI - Mansoura University
item ABD-ELGHANY, SAMIR MOHAMMED - Mansoura University
item RAMADAN, HAZEM HASSAN - Mansoura University
item Jackson, Charlene
item SALLAM, KHALID IBRAHIM - Mansoura University

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/27/2023
Publication Date: 1/1/2023
Citation: Abo-Almagd, E., Sabalab, R., Abd-Elghany, S., Ramadan, H., Jackson, C.R., Sallam, K. 2023. ß-lactamase producing Escherichia coli encoding blaCTX-M and blaCMY genes in chicken carcasses from Egypt. Foods. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030598.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030598

Interpretive Summary: Food contaminated with ß-lactam resistant Escherichia coli may pose a public health hazard due to the potential of transmission to humans through the food chain. This study determined prevalence, antibiotic resistance, phylogroups, and ß-lactamase gene content of E. coli isolates from chicken carcasses marketed in Mansoura, Egypt. E. coli was detected in 98% (98/100) of the chicken carcasses examined, which appeared among the highest contamination rates by E. coli worldwide. Of the 98 isolates, 77.5% were resistant to three or more of the 24 different antibiotics tested. Ten (10.2%) and eight (8.16%) of the isolates harbored the ß-lactamase genes blaCMY and blaCTX-M, respectively, and were resistant to the ß-lactam antibiotics, ampicillin, cefazoline, and ceftriaxone. Of the 18 extended-spectrum ß-lactamase and AmpC ß-lactamase producing E. coli strains isolated, five strains (27.77%) belonged to pathogenic phylogroup F, while the remaining (72.22%) were considered as commensal E. coli strains belonging to commensal phylogenetic groups. Results from this study are important to the food safety community and consumers as contaminated retail poultry could be an important source in dissemination of multidrug resistant E. coli, including ß-lactam resistant strains, in Egypt.

Technical Abstract: Escherichia coli with multidrug resistance and ß-lactamase genes may constitute a great public health hazard due to the potential of their transmission to humans through the food chain. This study determined the prevalence, antibiotic resistance profiles, phylogroups, and ß-lactamase genes of E. coli isolates from chicken carcasses marketed in Mansoura, Egypt. E. coli was detected in 98% (98/100) of the chicken carcasses examined, which appeared among the highest contamination rates by E. coli worldwide. From the 425 genetically verified uidA gene-positive E. coli, 98 isolates were further studied for antimicrobial resistance profiles, phylogroups, and ß-lactamase genes. Interestingly, 77.5% of E. coli strains tested against 24 different antibiotics were multidrug-resistant. Of the 98 E. coli isolates detected, 10 (10.2%) strains harbored blaCMY and showed resistance against ampicillin, cefazoline, and ceftriaxone, from which six were additionally resistant to ceftazidime. Eight (8.16%) of the E. coli detected, harbored blaCTX-M and were resistant to ampicillin, cefazoline, and ceftriaxone from which two were resistant to ceftazidime. Of the 18 extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC ß-lactamase producing E. coli strains isolated, five strains (27.77%) belonged to pathogenic phylogroup F, while the remaining (72.22%) were considered as commensal E. coli strains belonging to commensal phylogenetic groups.