Antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli populations collected from farm animals

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is currently one of authorities’ major concerns in healthcare, mainlydue to the danger that may arise from multiresistant strains in situations of contamination andinfection of patients in hospital settings. The origin of this resistance is linked to the dynamicsof natural bacteria populations in soil and water, but also to the excessive and inappropriate useof antimicrobials in clinical treatment and as growth promoters in herds. In this study,antimicrobial resistance profiles were analyzed in potentially pathogenic populations ofEscherichia coli in the gastrointestinal tract of poultry, cattle and sheep. This bacterial specie,although harboring pathogenic pathotypes, is part of the normal microflora of these animals’intestinal tracts. The lowest antimicrobial resistance rates were observed in sheep isolates.Resistance highest rates of were observed among bacterial populations derived from thepoultry. In bacterial population from cattle feces, resistance to ampicillin, cephalothin anderythromycin was observed. Resistance to cephalothin was noted to be widespread amonganalyzed populations. Furthermore, the conscious use of growth promoters, and supported on aproper diagnosis in clinical cases it is essential to inhibit the emergence of multidrug-resistantstrains.