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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Poultry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #415218
Research Project: Intervention Strategies to Mitigate Avian Escherichia coli Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Poultry Environment

Location: Poultry Research

Title: Characterization of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from broiler breeders with colibacillosis in Mississippi

Author
item JOSEPH, JIDDU - Mississippi State University
item JENNINGS, MADALYN - Mississippi State University
item BARBIERI, NICOLLE - Boehringer Ingelheim
item ZHANG, LI - Mississippi State University
item ADHIKARI, PRATIMA - Mississippi State University
item RAMACHANDRAN, RESHMA - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Poultry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/25/2022
Publication Date: 1/27/2023
Citation: Joseph, J., Jennings, M., Barbieri, N., Zhang, L., Adhikari, P., Ramachandran, R. 2023. Characterization of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from broiler breeders with colibacillosis in Mississippi. Poultry. 2(1), 24-39. https://doi.org/10.3390/poultry2010004.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/poultry2010004

Interpretive Summary: Escherichia coli (E. coli) can cause significant and costly disease in chickens and this pathogen is readily transmitted from dam to offspring via the egg. However, only limited information is available regarding pathogenic E.coli’s passage from hen to chick via the egg. In this study, pathogenic strains of E.coli isolated from breeder hens were characterized and their relativity and their antimicrobial and heavy metal traits were compared. Results determined the most prevalent group and disease-associated genes associated with disease in breeder chickens. Most isolates (93%) were shown to have at least on antimicrobial resistance gene and resistance to tetracycline predominated.

Technical Abstract: Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes colibacillosis in poultry, a leading cause of poultry mortality worldwide. It is crucial to control APEC in broiler breeders as it is vertically transferred to progeny via eggs. However, there is only limited knowledge on the current APEC population in breeders. This study characterized 28 APEC strains isolated from broiler breeders with colibacillosis. The genotypic-virulence characteristics as well as antimicrobial and heavy-metal resistance patterns of the isolates were determined. Results showed that O88 is the most prevalent serogroup and B2 is the predominant phylogenetic group. Among virulence genes, genes for iron acquisition (iroN and iutA), protectins (iss and ompT), and toxin production (hlyF) exhibited the highest prevalence. Further, 93% of the isolates carried at least one antimicrobial resistance gene with highest prevalence for tetracycline gene tetA. Among the isolates, 10.71% exhibited multidrug resistance. All isolates carried at least one heavy-metal resistance gene with the highest prevalence for arsenic gene arsC and the highest resistance towards silver. Our findings provide insight into the characteristics of current APEC populations in broiler breeders in Mississippi. This will help future research on the pathogenesis of APEC and the development of effective prevention and control strategies against APEC in broiler breeders.