Characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from cattle and their contacts

Abstract

Objective:To estimate the occurrence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in cattle reared on farms versus those belonged to smallholders as well as their contact keepers. Design: Descriptive study. Samples: The study comprised 260 samples consisting of f ninety each of (n = 90) for each of cattle feces and milk samples that were originated either from smallholding cattle (n=30) or from farm cattle (n=60) alongside eighty stool specimens were collected from smallholders contacts (n=50) and farm workers (n=30). Procedures: All samples were examined using conventional bacteriological and molecular techniques. Results: The overall occurrence of E. coli in animal samples was 25/180 with a percentage of 13.9. In cattle feces, it was 14.4% (13/90), whereas it was 13.3% (12/90) in milk samples. In human stool samples, E. coli i isolates were also identified in smallholders’ contacts (14%, 7/50) and farm workers (16.7%, 5/30). The most prevalent serotypes obtained from farm cattle and their keepers were (O157 and O55) and from smallholders’ cattle and their contact were (O111, O157, and O11). The PCR analysis showed that stx2 wasthe most predominant genotypes followed by stx1. The recovered E. coli isolates showed high resistance to penicillin G (97.3%) and 81% (30/37) of the tested strains exhibited multidrug resistance. Conclusion and clinical relevance: the presence of Shiga toxigenic and multiple drug-resistant strains of E. coli in the study area poses a high potential risk. Hence, strict hygienic measures should be followed to reduce the risk of STEC occurrence in smallholding cattle and those in commercial farms.