Fecal carriage of multi-drug resistant and extended spectrum ß-lactamases producing E. coli in household pigeons, Bangladesh.

Antibiotic resistance and ESBL constitute a risk to human and animal health. Birds residing close to humans could mirror the spectrum of human associated antibiotic resistance. Household pigeons were screened in Bangladesh to shed light on human associated, as well as, environmental antibiotic resistance. Escherichia coli from pigeons (n=150) were tested against 11 antibiotics. 89% E. coli isolates were resistant to one or more critically important human antibiotics like ampicillin, cefadroxil, mecillinam, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and tigecycline. No carbapenamase-producers were detected and the lower ESBL prevalence (5%) in pigeons. ESBL-producing E. coli isolates had blaCTX-M-15 genes. Pigeons shared some bacterial clones and had bird associated sequence types like E. coli ST1408. Fecal carriage of bacteria resistance of critically important human antibiotics, together with examples of shared genotypes among pigeons, indicate the human-birds and bird to bird transmissions are important in the epidemiology of antibiotic resistance.

High prevalence of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic Escherichia coli from large- and small-scale poultry farms in Bangladesh.

Antibiotic resistance in avian bacterial pathogens is a common problem in the Bangladesh poultry industry. The aim of the present study was to provide information on the present status of antibiotic resistance patterns in avian pathogenic Escherichia coli in Bangladesh. Of 279 dead or sick poultry of different ages, 101 pathogenic E coli strains isolated from broilers and layer hens with colibacillosis infections were screened to determine phenotypic expression of antimicrobial resistance against 13 antibiotics used in both veterinary and human medicine in Bangladesh. Of 101 pathogenic E. coli isolates, more than 55% were resistant to at least one or more of the tested compounds, and 36.6% of the isolates showed multiple-drug-resistant phenotypes. The most common resistances observed were against tetracycline (45.5%), trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (26.7%), nalidixic acid (25.7%), ampicillin (25.7%), and streptomycin (20.8%). Resistance to ciprofloxacin (12.9%), chlormaphenicol (8.9%), nitrofurantoin (2%), and gentamicin (2%) was also observed, and none of the isolates were resistant to tigecycline as well as extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers. One isolate was resistant to cefuroxime (1%), cefadroxil (1%), and mecillinam (1%) but was not an ESBL producer. Resistance rates, although significant in Bangladeshi isolates, were found to be lower than those reported for avian isolates from the Republic of Korea and clinical, avian, and environmental isolates from Bangladesh. The high level of antibiotic resistance in avian pathogens from Bangladesh is worrisome and indicates that widespread use of antibiotics as feed additives for growth promotion and disease prevention could have negative implications for human and animal health and the environment.

Proteolytic activation of Vibrio mimicus (Vm) major outer membrane protein haemagglutinin (HA) with Vm-HA/protease: Implication for understanding bacterial adherence.

Vibrio mimicus (Vm) haemagglutinins (HAs), such as an extracellular HA/protease (Vm-HA/protease) and a major outer membrane protein-HA (Vm-OMPHA), have been recognized as the putative adherence factors for the bacterium. However, the mechanism by which HAs coordinate the adherence function of the bacterium remains as yet unknown. We report herein the positive interaction between Vm-HA/protease and Vm-OMPHA resulting in significant enhancement of the haemagglutinating ability. In this interaction, no cleaved polypeptide was detected; however, limited proteolysis of Vm-OMPHA was confirmed by SDS-PAGE. The proteolytic activation of the native cell-associated Vm-OMPHA by limited proteolysis was also demonstrated in several V. mimicus strains. Proteolytic activation of OMPHA was also achieved with various proteases from bacterial and eukaryotic sources. These findings may indicate a novel coordination of V. mimicus HAs in the adherence of the bacterium.