Extended-Spectrum ß-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Conventional and Organic Pig Fattening Farms.

Katharina Meissner,Franz J Conraths,Timo Homeier-Bachmann,Herbert Tomaso,Stefan E Heiden,Carola Sauter-Louis,Katharina Schaufler

doi:10.3390/microorganisms10030603

Katharina Meissner, Franz J Conraths + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10030603

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Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing global problem and complicates successful treatments of bacterial infections in animals and humans. We conducted a longitudinal study in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to compare the occurrence of ESBL-producing Escherichia (E.) coli in three conventional and four organic pig farms. ESBL-positive E. coli, especially of the CTX-M type, were found in all fattening farms, confirming that antimicrobial resistance is widespread in pig fattening and affects both conventional and organic farms. The percentage of ESBL-positive pens was significantly higher on conventional (55.2%) than on organic farms (44.8%) with similar proportions of ESBL-positive pens on conventional farms (54.3–61.9%) and a wide variation (7.7–84.2%) on organic farms. Metadata suggest that the farms of origin, from which weaner pigs were purchased, had a major influence on the occurrence of ESBL-producing E. coli in the fattening farms. Resistance screening showed that the proportion of pens with multidrug-resistant E. coli was similar on conventional (28.6%) and organic (31.5%) farms. The study shows that ESBL-positive E. coli play a major role in pig production and that urgent action is needed to prevent their spread.

Highlights

Antimicrobials are produced by naturally occurring bacteria and fungi found in the environment [1]
Many clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes have most likely evolved from genes of environmental bacteria [2]
Due to the increasing development of bacterial resistance to important antimicrobial agents in recent decades, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an issue of utmost importance in both human and veterinary medicine worldwide as it can lead to treatment failure against common infectious diseases [10]

Summary

Introduction

Antimicrobials are produced by naturally occurring bacteria and fungi found in the environment [1]. Many clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes have most likely evolved from genes of environmental bacteria [2]. A recently published study postulates that wildlife represents a previously unrecognized medium through which environmental antimicrobial resistance genes can be transferred to human and animal clinical pathogens [2]. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a natural phenomenon [2,4], with misuse and overuse of antibiotics representing one of the main factors that select for the emergence of AMR [5]. The AMR problem is not limited to human medicine, since part of the resistance burden in humans is influenced by the use of antimicrobials in livestock [6–9]. Due to the increasing development of bacterial resistance to important antimicrobial agents in recent decades, AMR is an issue of utmost importance in both human and veterinary medicine worldwide as it can lead to treatment failure against common infectious diseases [10]

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