Characterization of Extended Spectrum Cephalosporin-Resistant IEscherichia coli/I Strains Isolated from Raw Poultry Carcasses in Catering Services in Northern Greece

• Published in: Veterinary sciences 2023-07, Vol.10 (8)
• Main Authors: Economou, Vangelis, Delis, Georgios, Stavrou, Dimitra, Gousia, Panagiota, Tsitsos, Anestis, Mantzios, Tilemachos, Chouliara, Eirini, Kolovos, Nikolaos, Soultos, Nikolaos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteria; Caterers and catering; Cephaloridine; Cephalosporins; Drug resistance in microorganisms; Escherichia coli; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Meat; Medical care, Cost of; Moxalactam; Poultry industry; Tetracycline; Tetracyclines
• ISSN: 2306-7381; 2306-7381
• DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10080487

Antimicrobial resistance is a phenomenon spreading through animals and humans, often with food as a vector. In this study, the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing E. coli isolates was examined in raw poultry carcasses from Greece. Among the samples, 64% were positive. One hundred and twenty strains were isolated, among which 71.67% were classified as true ESBL, 20.00% as AmpC, and 8.33% as “of unknown etiology”. The genetic background of the isolates for ESBL production featured the presence of variants of the bla[sub.CTX-M] and the bla[sub.TEM] genes, with non-gene harboring strains also isolated. The results demonstrate the existence of E. coli isolates producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases in raw poultry meat from Greece, posing a risk for antibiotic resistance transfer to humans. Further studies are needed to access microbial resistance trends, elucidate possible transmission routes, and further strengthen public health surveillance. Antimicrobial resistance is considered a topic of utmost interest under the concept of “One Health”, having severe implications in both human and veterinary medicine. Among the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, especially those belonging to the order of Enterobacterales (such as Escherichia coli), hold a prominent position in terms of both virulence and possessing/disseminating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) traits. The aim of this study was to examine the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing E. coli isolates in raw poultry carcasses collected from a university club. Five hundred raw poultry skin samples were collected from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) club in Thessaloniki, Greece. A total of 64% of the samples were positive for the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli. The isolates were further examined for their susceptibility to selected antibiotics by the disc diffusion method and were characterized as true ESBL, as producing class C cephalosporinases (AmpC) or “of unknown etiology” by the combination disc test. The 86 of the 120 isolates (71.67%) were classified as true ESBL, 24 (20.00%) as AmpC, and 10 (8.33%) as “of unknown etiology”. The isolates were screened for the occurrence of β-lactamase genes (bla[sub.TEM], bla[sub.CTX-M], bla[sub.SHV,] and bla[sub.OXA]). Thirty-six isolates (32 ESBL- and 4 AmpC-phenotype) harbored both bla[sub.TEM] and bla[sub.CTX-M] genes, twenty-two isolates (among which 19 ESBL-phenoty