Virulence Factors and Antibiotic Resistance of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia Coli in Eastern China

Xiaojing Xu; Qing Sun; Lixiang Zhao

doi:10.2478/jvetres-2019-0056

Virulence Factors and Antibiotic Resistance of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia Coli in Eastern China

J Vet Res. 2019 Sep 13;63(3):317-320. doi: 10.2478/jvetres-2019-0056. eCollection 2019 Sep.

Authors

Xiaojing Xu¹, Qing Sun^{2

3}, Lixiang Zhao¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Medical Department, Soochow University, 215123, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
² Laboratory of Animal Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, People's Republic of China.
³ Virus Research Unit, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Otago, 9016, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Abstract

Introduction: Avian pathogenicEscherichia coli (APEC) causes serious colibacillosis and significant economic losses. Data on profiles of virulence factors and antibiotic resistances among APEC strains are crucial to the control of infection. In this study, strains were isolated from eastern China, and the prevalence of virulence factors and distribution of antibiotic resistance were determined.

Material and methods: APEC strains were isolated and characterised by PCR for O serogroups, virulence factor genes, antibiotic resistance, and phylogenetic groups.

Results: O78 was the most prevalent serogroup and type A was the most frequent phylogenetic group. ThefimH,feoB, andiron genes were the most prevalent among the isolates. All isolates were multiresistant, and all strains were resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline, which are widely used in the poultry industry in China.

Conclusion: This study provided important data on the presence of virulence genes and antibiotic resistance profiles of APEC from poultry farms in eastern China.

Keywords: Escherichia coli; antibiotic resistance; chicken; phylogenetic group; virulence factors.