Abstract
A significant increase in the incidence of non-O157 verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) infections have become a serious health issues, and this situation is worsening due to the dissemination of plasmid mediated multidrug-resistant microorganisms worldwide. This study aims to investigate the presence of plasmid-mediated verotoxin gene in non-O157 E. coli. Standard microbiological techniques identified a total of 137 E. coli isolates. The plasmid was detected by Perfectprep Plasmid Mini preparation kit. These isolates were subjected to disk diffusion assay, and plasmid curing with ethidium bromide treatment. The plasmid containing isolates were subjected to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for investigating the presence of plasmid mediated verotoxin gene (VT1 and VT2) in non-O157 E. coli. Among the 137 E. coli isolates, 49 isolates were non-O157 E. coli while 29 (59.1%) isolates were verotoxin producing non-O157 serotypes and 26 non-O157 VTEC isolates possessed plasmids. Certain isolates harboured single sized plasmid while others had multiple plasmids with different size varied from 1.8kb to 7.6kb. A plasmid containing all (100%) the isolates was multidrug-resistant. Eight isolates changed their susceptibility patterns while three isolates were found to lose plasmid after post plasmid curing treatment and the rest of the isolates (15) remained constant. Different PCR sets characterized 3 plasmid-mediated verotoxins producing non-O157 E. coli. This current study demonstrated the occurrence of plasmid mediated verotoxin gene in non-O157 E. coli. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in the global literature on plasmid-mediated verotoxin gene in non-O157 E. coli. Timely diagnosis and surveillance of VTEC infections should prioritize to stop or slow down the virulence gene for dissemination by plasmid-mediated gene transfer amongst the same bacteria or other species.
Highlights
In recent times, the exhibition of multidrugresistance by bacteria has continued to establish a significant public health problem that is yet to be overcome
Of the total 29 clinical isolates of non-O157 verotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) were investigated for plasmid profile analysis, twenty-six strains were found to possess plasmid bands, which corresponded to 89.6% of the total isolates
This study reveals that the emergence of plasmidmediated verotoxin gene (PMVT) resistance can be developed through horizontal gene transfer and can co-exist on the same plasmid and may able to transfer to recipients
Summary
The exhibition of multidrugresistance by bacteria has continued to establish a significant public health problem that is yet to be overcome. The occurrence, spread, and persistence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria by various contributory factors are poorly understood [1]. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was listed to be a cause of serious infection in a community setting [2] and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) known as verotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) has emerged as a pathogen that causes numerous risk to public health [3]. The most outbreaks of human infections by VTEC occur through the ingestion of contaminated foods or water, vegetables, fruits, undercooked meats, unpasteurized milk, and dairy products. Direct animal contacts or environmental factors can cause infections [2]
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