Antimicrobial resistance and resistance gene determinants in clinical Escherichia coli from different animal species in Switzerland

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on a total of 581 clinical Escherichia coli isolates from diarrhea and edema disease in pigs, from acute mastitis in dairy cattle, from urinary tract infections in dogs and cats, and from septicemia in laying hens collected in Switzerland between 1999 and 2001. Among the 16 antimicrobial agents tested, resistance was most frequent for sulfonamides, tetracycline, and streptomycin. Isolates from swine presented significantly more resistance than those from the other animal species. The distribution of the resistance determinants for sulfonamides, tetracycline, and streptomycin was assessed by hybridization and PCR in resistant isolates. Significant differences in the distribution of resistance determinants for tetracycline (tetA, tetB) and sulfonamides (sulII) were observed between the isolates from swine and those from the other species. Resistance to sulfonamides could not be explained by known resistance mechanisms in more than a quarter of the sulfonamide-resistant and sulfonamide-intermediate isolates from swine, dogs and cats. This finding suggests that one or several new resistance mechanisms for sulfonamides may be widespread among E. coli isolates from these animal species. The integrase gene (intI) from class I integrons was detected in a large proportion of resistant isolates in association with the sulI and aadA genes, thus demonstrating the importance of integrons in the epidemiology of resistance in clinical E. coli isolates from animals.     

Prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni and its resistance to antibiotics in poultry in the Czech Republic

Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp., in particular Campylobacter jejuni, are among the most frequently identified pathogens, found to be causing human gastrointestinal infections in Europe, with the Czech Republic being no exception. The presented work aimed at assessing results of the first nationwide monitoring of prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks in the Czech Republic, including a comparison of antibiotic resistance of C. jejuni isolates collected from poultry and the human community. The monitoring was carried out in poultry slaughterhouses in 2006 and 2007. From broilers, cloacal swabs were collected and examined. The human isolates of C. jejuni were acquired from rectal swabs in community patients with diarrhoeal diseases. Suspected isolates of both animal and human origin were confirmed by the PCR methods. Antibiotic resistance to selected anti-microbial agents was tested by the microdilution method. In the monitored period, the prevalence of thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. in broilers in the Czech Republic reached almost 50%. In 2006, C. jejuni was detected in 46% and Campylobacter coli in 3% of the tested samples. In 2007, C. jejuni was found in 43% and C. coli in 2% of the samples. The results of anti-microbial susceptibility testing of C. jejuni showed higher resistance in animals when compared with humans. The only exception was tetracycline with higher resistance in isolates of human origin. The highest resistance detected was to quinolone antibiotics. Resistance to oxolinic acid was 77% in animal and 60% in human isolates, to ciprofloxacin 72% in isolates from poultry and 55% in those from humans. In ampicillin, 26% of poultry isolates and 16% of human isolates were resistant. Moreover, 9% of animal isolates demonstrated resistance to streptomycin, undetected in human isolates. In erythromycin, resistance was found in 6% of poultry and 1% of human isolates.     

Prevalence of resistance to 11 antimicrobials among Campylobacter coill isolated from pigs on 80 grower-finisher farms in Ontario.

We carried out a cross-sectional study to investigate antimicrobial resistance patterns of Campylobacter coli isolated from Ontario grower-finisher pigs. From January to June 2004, 1200 samples were collected from 80 farms by obtaining a constant number (15) of fecal samples per farm. Susceptibility of the isolates to 11 antimicrobial drugs was determined by the agar-dilution technique. The overall prevalence of resistance to 1 or more antimicrobials among the isolates was 99.2%. High levels of resistance were observed for azithromycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline: 91.7%, 82.5%, 81.4%, 70.7%, and 63.7%, respectively. For sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin, and nalidixic acid, resistance was observed in 40.3%, 26.6%, and 22.7% of the isolates, respectively. Although at very low levels, resistance was observed for ciprofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone), chloramphenicol, and gentamicin: in 2.4%, 1.7%, and 0.2%, respectively. Many of the isolates (29.7%) were resistant to 5 antimicrobials, the most common being azithromycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline. Isolates from the same farm showed at least 5 patterns of resistance. Results from this study indicate high levels of resistance to the antimicrobial drugs most commonly used in the Canadian swine industry (macrolides, lincosamides, and tetracyclines) among C. coli isolated from grower-finisher pigs in Ontario. Macrolides and fluoroquinolones are the drugs most commonly used to treat severe human campylobacteriosis. Fortunately, at present, there is little resistance to fluoroquinolones among C. coli from pigs in Ontario.     

Antimicrobial drug resistance as determined by the E-test in Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, and C. lari isolates from the ceca of broiler and layer chickens in Grenada

One hundred and twenty five chickens from Grenada, consisting of 77 broilers and 48 layers were examined for carriage of thermophilic campylobacters in their ceca by culture. Seventy nine percent of chickens were positive for campylobacters, with an isolation rate of 93.5% for broilers and 56.3% for layers, the difference being significant. Sixty-four pure cultures comprising 39 Campylobacter coli, 21 Campylobacter jejuni, and 4 Campyilobacter lari isolates were tested for their resistance against 7 antibiotics using the E-test. None of the isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol and gentamicin. Resistance rates to other drugs were: ampicillin, 9.4%; ciprofloxacin, 12.5%; erythromycin, 3.1%; metronidazole, 9.4%, and tetracycline, 50% with MICs of >or=256 microg/mL for tetracycline. There were no significant differences in resistance rates between C. coli and C. jejuni. Multiple resistance to >or=2 drugs was seen in 15.6% of total isolates. All C. lari isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, and 3 of 4 isolates had multiple drug resistance. Overall, erythromycin, which is the drug of choice for treatment of Campylobacter infections in humans, is effective in vitro against 97% of chicken isolates in Grenada.     

Prevalence of tetracycline-resistant Campylobacter in organic broilers during a production cycle

Tetracycline (tet) resistance in Campylobacter isolated from organically raised broilers was investigated in this study. Two hundred forty-five samples from an organic broiler farm were collected weekly from the first week to the end of the production cycle, and they were cultured for thermophilic Campylobacter. Tetracycline resistance of these Campylobacter isolates was identified by the agar dilution method, whereas DNA fingerprinting profiles of tet-susceptible and tet-resistant strains were determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). None of the Campylobacter isolates from the third and the fourth week of the production period were resistant to tetracycline, whereas 66.7% of the isolates from the fifth week were resistant to this antibiotic. Although the prevalence of tetracycline resistance reached 100.0% during the sixth and seventh week, less than 34.0% of the isolates from the 10th week were resistant to this antimicrobial agent. In addition, only 13.8% of Campylobacter isolates from the intestinal tracts of these organically raised broilers were resistant to tetracycline. The presence of the tet(O) gene was detected in 98.9% of tet-resistant Campylobacter isolates, and tet-susceptible and tet-resistant Campylobacter strains showed distinct PFGE genotypes. The results suggest that the Campylobacter strains isolated from the early stage of the production were susceptible to tetracycline, but they were subsequently displaced by tet-resistant Campylobacter.     

Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of thermotolerant Campylobacter strains isolated from food animals in Ethiopia

Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. are frequent causes of diarrhoea in humans worldwide mostly originating from poultry. It has been suggested that extensive veterinary use of antibiotics is largely responsible for resistance in human isolates. During a 4-month period from January to April 2004, 192 Campylobacter spp. were isolated from fecal samples of 485 healthy food animals. The in vitro susceptibility to 12 antibiotics was determined by the agar disk diffusion method. Among the 192 Campylobacter spp. isolated, 135 (70.3%) were identified to be C. jejuni, 51 (26.6%) were C. coli and 6 (3.1%) were C. lari. C. jejuni was the most prevalent species in chickens (80.8%) versus 16.2% C. coli and 3.0% C. lari. All isolates found in pigs were C. coli. All strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin and all were resistant to cephalothin. More than 90% of the strains were sensitive to clindamycin, erythromycin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, streptomycin and tetracycline. Resistance was found against ampicillin in 20% and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole in 37.5%. Resistance was not statistically different among C. jejuni, C. coli and C. lari (p>0.05). Multidrug resistance to two or more drugs was detected in 14.5% of strains. In conclusion, the study showed that antimicrobial resistance is found only at relatively low frequencies for most antimicrobial agents tested except for ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. The low percentages of resistance to most antimicrobial agents tested in this study may be the result of low/no usage of these agents as a growth promoters or treatment in the Ethiopian animal farm setting. The detection of multidrug resistant isolates may pose a threat to humans and further limits therapeutic options.     

Campylobacter spp. and their antimicrobial resistance patterns in poultry: an epidemiological survey study in Turkey

The current study aimed at determining the prevalence and the antimicrobial resistance profiles of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. infecting broiler chickens. A total of 240 caecal samples from six slaughterhouses were examined for the presence of Campylobacter spp. C. jejuni was detected in 40.4% (97/240) of the samples and C. coli in 12.1% (29/240). The agar disc diffusion method and the E-test were used for testing the antimicrobial susceptibility of C. jejuni and C. coli isolates. C. jejuni isolates were most resistant to nalidixic acid (79.4%) followed by tetracycline (76.3%), ciprofloxacin (74.2%) and enrofloxacin (15.5%). Among the C. coli isolates, the frequency of resistance to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin was the same at 65.5%. The predominant profiles of multidrug resistance to three or more antimicrobials in C. jejuni and C. coli were determined as tetracycline/nalidixic acid/ciprofloxacin resistance (48.5%) and tetracycline/nalidixic acid/ciprofloxacin/enrofloxacin resistance (51.7%), respectively. To prevent the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria of animal origin to humans, it should be noted that high proportions of multidrug resistance were found in both species.     

Study on Molecular Characterization of Class Ⅰ Integron and Integron-associated Antimicrobial Resistance in Escherichia coli from Beef Cattle

To investigate the prevalence and molecular characterization of class Ⅰ integron in Escherichia coli isolated from beef cattle, and analyze the relationship between integron and antimicrobial resistance, susceptibilities to 11 antimicrobials were conducted on 92 isolates, the presence and characterization of class Ⅰ integrons and inserted gene cassettes were performed using PCR combined with sequencing analysis. The results showed that 29 isolates had been detected positive for class Ⅰ integron integrase gene (intⅠ1) among 92 isolates, and aadA1 and dfrA17＋aadA5 were the most prevalent gene cassette arrays detected. The resistance rates of 92 isolates to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole and tetracycline were all more than 45.0%. As revealed by analyzing the association between resistance phenotypes and class Ⅰ integron, isolates that contained the class Ⅰ integron were significantly highly resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (P<0.05), but not to quinolones and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. The conclusion was that E.coli isolated from beef cattle were seriously resistant to antimicrobials,and integron/cassettes widely existed. The presence of integrons and the association of antimicrobial resistance determinants with transferable elements might play a crucial role in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance among E.coli. Data reported here clearly emphasized the need for a stricter application of antimicrobials restriction policies in feedlot setting.     

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Campylobacter strains isolated from broilers in the southern part of Japan from 1995 to 1999

Cecal contents (16 samples/each flock) of broilers derived from 212 flocks were investigated for colonization of Campylobacter from 1995 to 1999 in the southern part of Japan, and the isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibilities. C. jejuni-positive flocks numbered 42 (19.8%) and C. coli-positive ones 26 (12.3%); Campylobacter spp. were recovered from 68 flocks (32.1%) in total. MICs of ampicillin, erythromycin (EM), tetracycline, nalidixic acid (NA), norfloxacin (NFLX), and ofloxacin (OFLX) to these 68 Campylobacter isolates were determined. Quinolone-resistant Campylobacter isolates numbered 22 (32.4%). All the isolates except one were cross-resistant to NA, OFLX, and NFLX. A high frequency of quinolone-resistance was found in both C. jejuni and C. coli, whereas a high level of EM-resistance was found in only C. coli strains. All C. jejuni isolates were sensitive to EM.     

Comparison of Agar Dilution and E-test for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Campylobacter coli isolates recovered from 80 Ontario swine farms

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the level of agreement of the E-test for in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Campylobacter coli using the agar dilution technique, which is the approved method. A convenience sample of 80 Ontario swine farms was chosen for this study; each farm was visited from January to June 2004. A total of 233 isolates of C. coli were tested for susceptibility to 10 antimicrobials by agar dilution and the E-test. Performance of the tests was evaluated using 7 quality control strains: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Campylobacter jejuni ATCC 33560, and Campylobacter coli ATCC 33559 for the E-test and E. coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and C. jejuni ATCC 33560 for the agar dilution test. Weighted Cohen's kappa and prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) tests were used for statistical analysis. The E-test and agar dilution test results had a strong agreement when resistance to streptomycin and tetracycline were evaluated (weighted kappa: 0.68 and 0.66, respectively). However, marked disagreement was detected when testing susceptibility to nalidixic acid and ampicillin (0.15 and 0.22, respectively). Almost perfect agreement was detected by PABAK when testing susceptibility to gentamicin (0.99). Agreement was found to be moderate for ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, and chloramphenicol. Although the level of agreement between the E-test and agar dilution depended on the antimicrobial being tested, the E-test always detected a lower proportion of resistant isolates compared to agar dilution.     

Higher resistance of Campylobacter coli compared to Campylobacter jejuni at chicken slaughterhouse

In order to compare the prevalence of Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni during the processing of broilers at slaughterhouse a total of 848 samples were analyzed during 2012 in southern Spain. Four hundred and seventy six samples were collected from cloaca, carcass surfaces and quartered carcasses. Moreover, 372 environmental swabs from equipment and scalding water were collected. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, streptomycin, tetracycline and gentamicin was determined for isolates from chicken meat. The general prevalence of Campylobacter was 68.8% (40.2% of C. coli and 28.5% of C. jejuni). The relative prevalence of C. coli increased from loading dock area (41.5%) to packing area (64.6%). In contrast, the relative prevalence of C. jejuni decreased from 58.5% to 35.4%. These differences between species from initial to final area were significant (p = 0.02). The highest antimicrobial resistance for C. jejuni and C. coli was detected to tetracycline (100%) and ciprofloxacin (100%), respectively. Campylobacter coli showed an antimicrobial resistance significantly higher than C. jejuni to streptomycin (p = 0.002) and erythromycin (p < 0.0001).     

Antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter from broilers: association with production type and antimicrobial use

The isolation and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli strains from broilers arriving in French slaughterhouses, were analysed according to production types (i.e. standard, export or free-range) and antimicrobial (i.e. coccidiostats, growth promoters or therapeutic agents) administration in flocks. Prevalence was 56.6% in standard, 51.3% in export and 80.0% in free-range broilers. Three hundred and ninety-three strains were identified. Two-thirds of the strains belonged to the species C. jejuni. The others were C. coli. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out for ampicillin, nalidixic acid, enrofloxacin, tetracycline, erythromycin and gentamicin according to a dilution method. The percentages of resistant strains were, 23, 25, 17, 57, 0.3 and 0% for C. jejuni and 29, 43, 40, 70, 31 and 0% for C. coli. Statistical analysis revealed significant difference in distribution of C. jejuni and C. coli and antimicrobial resistance according to production type or antimicrobial administration.     

Antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter spp. isolated from Ontario sheep flocks and associations between antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in faecal Campylobacter spp. from lambs and adult sheep and associations between antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR. A total of 275 faecal samples collected during initial and final visits from 51 sheep flocks, including one feedlot, across southern Ontario were tested for the presence of Campylobacter spp. Campylobacter jejuni was detected in 52% (143/275) of the faecal samples, Campylobacter coli in 7% (19/275), Campylobacter lari in 1% (2/275) and 2% (4/275) were non-speciated Campylobacter. Broth microdilution was used to test antimicrobial susceptibility of 162 isolates to nine antimicrobials. Campylobacter jejuni isolates (n = 142) were resistant to tetracycline (39%), ciprofloxacin (4%), nalidixic acid (4%) and telithromycin (1%). C. coli isolates (n = 19) were resistant to tetracycline (74%), and azithromycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, and telithromycin (5%). The C. lari isolate displayed resistance to nalidixic acid. No statistically significant associations were found between AMU and AMR during multivariate modelling in this study.     

Prevalence of thermophilic campylobacter infections in humans, chickens and crows in Morogoro, Tanzania

Prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter infections in humans, chickens and crows was determined in a cross-sectional study that was carried out in urban and rural areas of Morogoro region, Tanzania during the period of January 2003 to December 2004. A total of 632 human stool samples, 536 cloacal swabs from local and broiler chickens and 22 intestinal contents from crows were screened for presence of thermophilic campylobacters using Skirrow's protocol. Representative Campylobacter jejuni isolates from human and chicken samples were also analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a definitive identification method. The overall prevalence of thermophilic campylobacters was 9.3% (95% CI: 7.2-11.9), 69.8% (95% CI: 65.7-73.6) and 72.7% (95% CI: 49.8-89.3) in humans, chickens and crows respectively. In humans, 59 thermophilic campylobacters were isolated of which 96.6% were C. jejuni and 3.4%Campylobacter coli. There was a significantly (P<0.001) higher prevalence in young individuals (16%) than in adults (7%). Of 341 isolates from chickens, 91.2% were C. jejuni and 8.8% were C. coli. A significantly (P<0.05) higher infection rate was observed in rural local chicken (76%) than in broilers (60%). In crows, of 16 isolates, 93.8% were C. jejuni and 6.2% were C. coli. Definitive identification of C. jejuni by PCR revealed positive results in 74.1% of 243 analysed isolates. Findings in this study indicate high prevalence of thermophilic campylobacters in humans, chickens and crows in Morogoro, and a higher infection rate of C. jejuni than that of C. coli in different animal species. Age of humans and location of chickens were identified as risk factors for thermophilic Campylobacter infections. Positive isolates to biochemical tests that indicated negative results on PCR indicates the additional value of PCR for definitive diagnosis of C. jejuni.     

Antibiotic resistance among indicator bacteria isolated from healthy pigs in New Zealand

AIM: To determine the resistance to antibiotics among the indictor bacteria, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp, isolated from the faeces of healthy pigs on three conventional pig farms and one organic farm in the North Island of New Zealand. METHODS: Faecal samples, collected at intervals between March and October 2001, were plated onto MacConkey agar and Slanetz-Bartley agar and examined after 1-3 days incubation for colonies resembling E. coli and Enterococcus spp, respectively. Typical colonies were subcultured for further identification and storage. The isolates were tested for antibiotic resistance, using disc diffusion, to ampicillin, gentamicin, streptomycin, and tetracycline. Escherichia coli isolates were also tested for resistance to ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole and neomycin. Enterococcus spp isolates were also tested for resistance to vancomycin, erythromycin and virginiamycin. RESULTS: A total of 296 E. coli and 273 Enterococcus spp isolates were obtained from the three conventional farms, and 79 E. coli and 80 Enterococcus spp isolates were obtained from the organic farm. All the E. coli isolates from both the conventional and organic pig farms were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, and all the Enterococcus spp isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, gentamicin and vancomycin. Isolates of E. coli from conventional pig farms were resistant to gentamicin (0.7%), neomycin (0.7%), ampicillin (2.7%), cotrimoxazole (11%), streptomycin (25%) and tetracycline (60%). Enterococcus spp isolates from the same farms were resistant to erythromycin (68%), tetracycline (66%), streptomycin (54%) and virginiamycin (49%). By contrast, for the organic pig farm 相似文献   

The resistance to chemotherapeutic agents of Escherichia coli from domestic dogs and cats

The prevalence of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli in the rectal flora of 168 healthy dogs and 93 cats in the Brisbane area was investigated. Rectal swabs were plated on MacConkey agar with and without antibiotics, and 690 isolates confirmed as faecal E. coli were tested for resistance to tetracycline, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, neomycin, furazolidone and sulphanilamide. Resistant isolates were obtained from 101 (60%) of the dogs and 24 (26%) of the cats sampled. A high percentage of the isolates was resistant to tetracycline, streptomycin, ampicillin and sulphanilamide. Multiple resistance to 3 or more of the drugs was exhibited by the majority of isolates and a total of 31 different multiple resistance patterns was demonstrated. Of the 50 strains tested for transfer of resistance, 30 (60%) transferred some or all of their resistance determinants to an E. coli K12F - recipient.     

The In Vitro Activity of 15 Antimicrobial Agents against Bacterial Isolates from Dogs

The in vitro activity of 15 antimicrobial agents against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pasteurella spp. and Streptococcus canis from dogs was investigated. For Staphylococcus spp., the highest frequency of resistance was observed for penicillin, followed by ampicillin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol. The highest frequency of resistance in E. coli isolates was recorded for tetracycline and streptomycin. Pasteurella spp. and S. canis had the highest resistance rate for tetracycline and chloramphenicol. Most isolates showed full susceptibility to low-level resistance to colistin, florfenicol and fluoroquinolones. Further studies using larger number of isolates from both healthy and diseased dogs would provide a broader picture of antimicrobial resistance at a national level and promote prudent use of antimicrobial agents in companion animals.     

Antimicrobial Resistance and Multilocus Sequence Types of Finnish Campylobacter jejuni Isolates from Multiple Sources

Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined for 805 domestic Campylobacter jejuni isolates obtained from broilers (n = 459), bovines (n = 120), human patients (n = 95), natural waters (n = 80), wild birds (n = 35) and zoo animals/enclosures (n = 16) with known multilocus sequence types (MLST) for 450 isolates. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for erythromycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, gentamicin and the quinolones ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid were determined with the VetMIC method. MICs were compared with MLST types to find possible associations between sequence type and resistance. The proportions of resistant isolates were 5% (broilers), 6.3% (natural waters), 11.4% (wild birds), 11.6% (human patients), 16.7% (bovines) and 31.3% (zoo). The most common resistance among the human and bovine isolates was quinolone resistance alone while resistance to streptomycin alone was most often detected among the broiler isolates and tetracycline resistance was most commonly observed in the wild bird, water and zoo isolates. No or negligible resistance to erythromycin or gentamicin was detected. In all data, 12/26 of the tetracycline‐resistant isolates were also resistant to streptomycin (P < 0.001) and the clonal complex (CC) ST‐1034 CC showed a high proportion of 75% (9/12) of tetracycline‐resistant isolates, most originating from the zoo and broilers with closely associated MLST types from these sources. No association between quinolone resistance and MLST type was seen. The low percentage of resistant isolates among the domestic Campylobacter infections is most probably due to the long‐term controlled use of antimicrobials. However, the higher percentage of tetracycline resistance observed among the zoo isolates could present a risk for zoo visitors of acquisition of resistant C. jejuni. The resistance pattern of tetracycline and streptomycin most often found in ST‐1034 CC could indicate a common resistance acquisition mechanism commonly present in this CC. Overall, MLST typing was found to be a useful method in recognition of potential genetic lineages associated with resistance.     

Detection of thermophilic Campylobacter from sparrows by multiplex PCR: the role of sparrows as a source of contamination of broilers with Campylobacter

The best combination of primers and the annealing temperature of multiplex PCR for Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and Campylobacter lari were examined. The multiplex PCR was able to detect type strains of the three species. All results of identification of wild strains (30 strains of C. jejuni, 20 strains of C. coli, and 4 strains of C. lari) by the multiplex PCR coincided with those of the conventional biochemical identification tests, suggesting that the multiplex PCR can simultaneously differentiate C. jejuni, C. coli, and C. lari from wild strains of campylobacters easily and rapidly. Campylobacters were detected from sparrow feces by the multiplex PCR and antimicrobial sensitivities of the strains were determined to discuss the role of sparrows in contamination of broilers with C. jejuni. Three out of 13 strains of C. jejuni isolated from sparrow feces showed quinolone resistance. From the frequent use of quinolones for treatment of industrial animals like chickens, pigs, and cows, the three strains of quinolone-resistant C. jejuni in sparrows must have been originated from those industrial animals. Sparrows that have quinolone-resistant C. jejuni were considered to have contacted with industrial animals or thier feed. It may be presumed, on the contrary, that C. jejuni in sparrows could be a potential source of contamination of broilers.     

Antimicrobial susceptibility of hazard analysis critical control point Escherichia coli isolates from federally inspected beef processing plants in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario

A survey to estimate the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli was conducted in 7 Canadian federally inspected processing plants during 2001. Escherichia coli isolates were recovered during routine hazard analysis critical control point sampling from beef carcasses and trim and subsequently tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility by using susceptibility panels. Of the 2653 isolates analyzed, 68% were sensitive to all 18 antimicrobials tested. For 14 of the 18 antimicrobials evaluated, the percentage of resistant isolates was < or = 1. Twenty-five percent of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline, 9% to sulfamethoxazole, 7% to streptomycin, and 3% to ampicillin. Multiple resistance was found in 12% of the isolates, with 7% showing resistance to 2 antimicrobials, 2% to 3 antimicrobials, 2% to 4 antimicrobials, and 1% to 5 or more antimicrobials. Forty-five different antimicrobial resistance patterns were observed. The reasons for the development of the antimicrobial resistance were not investigated in this study. This study was useful as a pilot to help to develop a national antimicrobial resistance surveillance program in Canada. This study indicates that laboratory standardization is possible for consistent results across the country and that the indicator organism, E. coli, is fairly easy to obtain for surveillance but Salmonella are not, due to their low prevalence in beef.