Prevalence and characterization of multidrug resistance avian Escherichia coli isolates from broiler chickens

Abstract

Administration of antibiotics to the entire chicken flock is a frequent practice in intensive broiler production, as the demand for chicken meat rise up in Republic of Moldova for the last years, which leads to selection of resistance gene and appearance of multidrug resistance E.coli strains. The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of multidrug resistant Escherichia coli isolates in broiler chickens during rearing period. In this study were observed a high rates of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli isolates from one day old chickens for several antibiotics (75% Ampicillin/Sulbactam, Chloramphenicol 41,7%), therefore, the highest incidence of multidrug E. coli isolates were find out in the final period of chicken rearing (14 isolates), in contrast with day old chicks (6 isolates). Phenotypic profile of antimicrobial resistance shows a high rates of multidrug resistant E. coli isolates among the last period of rearing, and one of reason for this can be due to the use of large amount of antimicrobials starting from day one. The incidence of multiple resistance to several classes of antibiotics is considered as a serious threat to both animal and human health. Overall out of 45 E. coli isolates obtained from broiler at different ages, the average antimicrobial resistance rates shows that isolates were resistant to gentamicin (26.7%), amoxicillin (48.9%), ampicillin/sulbactam (93.4), chloramphenicol (62.2%), enrofloxacin (60%), oxytetracycline (53.3%) and doxycycline (53.3%). Additionally, certain antibiotics from the present study, with high rates of antimicrobial resistance are categorize as very important for human medicine, thus they have to be used with prudence and just in situation when another antimicrobials are not available.