Dissemination of ESBL-Producing <b><i>Escherichia coli</i></b> of Chicken Origin to the Nearby River Water

Abstract

The dissemination of drug-resistant bacteria from animal farms to aquatic environments can pose a potential threat to public health. In this study, antimicrobial resistance, resistance genes, and genetic similarity of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli of different origins (chicken feces and upstream and downstream river waters) were analyzed to track the spread of drug-resistant bacteria of animals. The results showed that a total of 29 ESBL-producing E. coli were obtained from 258 samples, and isolation rates of the ESBL-producing E. coli from chicken feces and upstream and downstream waters were 10.7% (16/150), 3.7% (1/27), and 14.8% (12/81), respectively. The ESBL-producing E. coli from upstream water was resistant to 7 antibiotics, but isolates from feces and downstream water had a higher resistance rate. In 29 ESBL-producing E. coli, the most common gene was CTX-M and the SHV gene was not detected. Five ESBL-producing isolates from downstream water showed >90% similarity with the fecal isolates, while the only one isolate from upstream water had <70% similarity with fecal isolates. The results suggest that animal farms' effluent, especially the untreated wastewater, could contribute to the spread of resistance genes.