Genotypic and phenotypic trends in antibiotic resistant pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from humans and farm animals in South Korea

Microbes Environ. 2011;26(3):198-204. doi: 10.1264/jsme2.me10194. Epub 2011 May 11.

Abstract

South Korea uses more antibiotics for animal production than any other member of the OECD. The excessive use could potentially lead to a greater incidence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms, some of which may be pathogenic. In this study, we examined potential diarrheagenic and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) isolates using virulence gene profiling (eaeA, est, elt, ipaH, stx1 and stx2 as diarrheagenic and afa/dra, iutA, kpsMT II, papA/C, and sfa/foc as extraintestinal pathogenic virulence genes). A cluster analysis of DNA fingerprint data indicated that certain genotypes of chicken E. coli isolates are likely ExPEC. Moreover, our results showed 38 of the 60 potential diarrheagenic and ExPEC isolates obtained from animals and humans were also resistant to antibiotics, mostly to tetracycline groups, penicillin groups, and folate pathway inhibitors. Our results suggest that the use of antibiotics in agriculture should be controlled due to potential impacts on human health.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic / microbiology*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cattle
  • Chickens
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Escherichia coli / classification
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects*
  • Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli / isolation & purification
  • Escherichia coli Infections / microbiology*
  • Escherichia coli Infections / veterinary*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phenotype
  • Phylogeny
  • Republic of Korea
  • Swine
  • Virulence Factors / genetics

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Virulence Factors