Abstract
The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes and resistant bacteria do not recognize animal, human, or geographic boundaries. Addressing this threat requires a multidisciplinary approach involving human, animal, and environmental health (One Health) sectors. This is because antimicrobial agents used in veterinary medicine have been reported to be the same or similar to those in human medicine use. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) E. coli is a growing public health problem worldwide, and the agri-food industry is increasingly becoming a source of clinically important ESBL bacteria. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and characteristics of ESBL-producing E. coli from dairy cattle, milk, and the farm environment. E. coli isolates were identified by their 16sRNA, and their ESBL production was confirmed using ESBL–CHROMagar media and the double disk diffusion method. Genotypes of ESBL producers were characterized using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) assay. It was found that 18 (4.8%) of the total samples were positive for ESBL-producing E. coli. Of these, 66.7% were from milk, and 27.8% and 5.5% were from the farm environment and faecal samples, respectively. Predominant ESBL genotypes identified were a combination of both TEM and CTX-M in eight out of 18 (44.4%) isolates. Four (22.2%) isolates produced the CTX-M gene, two (11.1%) isolates produced the TEM gene, and four (22.2%) remaining isolates produced the ESBL genes other than TEM, SHV, CTX-M, and OXA. The SHV and OXA gene were not detected in all 18 isolates. In all, there were four profiles of genetic similarity. The occurrence of these genotypes in indicator organisms from dairy cattle, milk, and the farm environment further re-enforced the potential of food-animals as sources of ESBL-producing E. coli infection in humans via the food chain. Thus, there is the need for the adoption of a tripartite One Health approach in surveillance and monitoring to control antimicrobial resistance.
Highlights
The remote cause and actual cost of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in most parts of the world remains unclear despite being a significant public health problem
ESBL-producing E. coli were not detected in faeces, environment, or milk samples in three farms
ESBL-producing E. coli were detected in drinking water at 3/77 (3.9%), and one isolate (1.3%) each from water source and house flies, respectively (Table 2)
Summary
The remote cause and actual cost of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in most parts of the world remains unclear despite being a significant public health problem. Pathogens 2020, 9, 1007 tackling the menace of antimicrobial resistant bacteria requires a holistic transdisciplinary approach involving human, animal, and environmental health sectors, collectively tagged the One Health approach. Escherichia coli producing narrow and extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) are continuously becoming a public health problem worldwide [3,4]. ESBL are plasmid-mediated β-lactamase enzyme recognized for their remarkable ability to hydrolyse penicillin, 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins and monobactams except for carbapenem and cephamycin [5]. These enzymes emerged from blaTEM-1, blaTEM-2, and blaSHV as narrow-spectrum parents. BlaCTX-M, a new class of ESBL genes, appeared to have gained global traction, because of the burden it placed on animal and human health
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