Development of a real-time PCR for Escherichia coli based on gadE, an acid response regulatory gene.

Increasingly, molecular methods have become important in identification and confirmation of bacteria at the species level. Rapid molecular methods provide sensitivity and specificity while reducing cost and resources. The primary goal of this study was to develop a real-time PCR assay for identification of Escherichia coli from an agar plate. GadE (gadE) directly regulates the glutamate-dependent acid response system (GDAR) in E. coli and is responsible for survival of at pH 2. Based on gene sequence data, a real-time PCR assay targeting gadE was developed for this purpose. Seventy bacterial isolates recovered from ground beef enrichments and 714 isolates from caecal contents were identified biochemically and tested with the real-time PCR assay developed in this study. The PCR assay and the biochemical identification had 100% agreement on the tested isolates. The gadE real-time PCR assay was demonstrated in this study to be an inexpensive, reliable method for confirming E. coli colonies within 1.5 h from an agar plate, thereby saving on final identification time.

Characterization of antibiotic and disinfectant susceptibility profiles among Pseudomonas aeruginosa veterinary isolates recovered during 1994-2003.

AIMS: To evaluate susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa veterinary isolates to antibiotics and disinfectants. METHODS AND RESULTS: Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates collected from dogs (n = 155) and other animals (n = 20) from sixteen states during 1994-2003 were tested for susceptibility. Most isolates were resistant to twenty-one antimicrobials tested, and the highest prevalence of resistance was to ß-lactams (93.8%) and sulphonamides (93.5%). Fluoroquinolone resistance did not increase from 1994 to 2003. Ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin had a 5 and 16% prevalence of resistance, respectively, while sarafloxacin and nalidixic acid had a prevalence of resistance of 97 and 98%, respectively. Strains were pan-resistant to triclosan and chlorhexidine, were highly resistant to benzalkonium chloride and demonstrated high susceptibility to other disinfectants. Didecyldimethylammonium chloride was the most active ammonium chloride. Inducible resistance was observed to cetyl ammonium halides, chlorhexidine and benzyl ammonium chlorides, which formulate disinfectants used in veterinary clinics and dairies. Organic acid inhibition was associated with the dissociated acid species. CONCLUSIONS: Dissociated organic acids appear able to inhibit Ps. aeruginosa, and rates of fluoroquinolone resistance merit sustained companion animal isolate surveillance. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first report of Ps. aeruginosa susceptibility to 24 disinfectants and illustrates the high resistance of Ps. aeruginosa to both antibiotics and disinfectants.

Comparison of the prevalences and antimicrobial resistances of Escherichia coli isolates from different retail meats in the United States, 2002 to 2008.

Escherichia coli isolates were recovered from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System retail meat program and examined for antimicrobial susceptibility. Retail meat samples (n = 11,921) from four U.S. states collected during 2002 to 2008, consisting of 2,988 chicken breast, 2,942 ground turkey, 2,991 ground beef, and 3,000 pork chop samples, were analyzed. A total of 8,286 E. coli isolates were recovered. The greatest numbers of samples contaminated with the organism were chicken (83.5%) and turkey (82.0%), followed by beef (68.9%) and pork (44.0%). Resistance was most common to tetracycline (50.3%), followed by streptomycin (34.6%), sulfamethoxazole-sulfisoxazole (31.6%), ampicillin (22.5%), gentamicin (18.6%), kanamycin (8.4%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (6.4%), and cefoxitin (5.2%). Less than 5% of the isolates had resistance to trimethoprim, ceftriaxone, ceftiofur, nalidixic acid, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin. All isolates were susceptible to amikacin. Compared to beef and pork isolates, the poultry meat isolates had a greater percentage of resistance to all tested drugs, with the exception of chloramphenicol, to which pork isolates had the most resistance. More than half of the turkey isolates (56%) were resistant to multidrugs (≥3 classes) compared to 38.9% of chicken, 17.3% of pork, and 9.3% of beef isolates. The bla(CMY) gene was present in all ceftriaxone- and ceftiofur-resistant isolates. The cmlA, flo, and catI genes were present in 45%, 43%, and 40% of chloramphenicol-resistant isolates, respectively. Most nalidixic acid-resistant isolates (98.5%) had a gyrA mutation in S83 or D87 or both, whereas only 6.7% had a parC mutation in either S80 or E84. The results showed that E. coli was commonly present in the retail meats, and antimicrobial resistance profiles differed according to the animal origin of the isolates.

Antimicrobial resistance and genetic characterization of fluoroquinolone resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from canine infections.

Infections with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are a great challenge in both human and veterinary medicine. The purpose of this study was to determine antimicrobial susceptibility of 106 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from dogs with otitis and pyoderma from 2003 to 2006 in the United States. Three antimicrobial panels, including 6 classes and 32 antimicrobial agents, were used. A wide range of susceptibility patterns were noted with some isolates being resistant to between 8 and 28 (mean 16) of the antimicrobials tested. Among the beta-lactams, all isolates were resistant to ampicillin, cefoxitin, cefpodoxime, cephalothin and cefazolin followed by amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (99%), ceftiofur (97%), ceftriaxone (39%), cefotaxime (26%), and cefotaxime/clavulanic acid (20%), whereas less than 7% of isolates were resistant to ceftazidime/clavulanic acid, ceftazidime, piperacillin/tazobactam or cefepime. Two isolates were resistant to the carbapenems. Among the quinolones and fluoroquinolones, the most isolates were resistant to naladixic acid (96%), followed by orbifloxacin (52%), difloxacin (43%), enrofloxacin (31%), marbofloxacin (27%), gatifloxacin (23%), levofloxacin (21%), and ciprofloxacin (16%). Among the aminoglycosides, the most resistance was seen to kanamycin (90%), followed by streptomycin (69%), gentamicin (7%), and amikacin (3%). Of the remaining antimicrobials 100% of the isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol followed by tetracycline (98%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (57%), and sulfisoxazole (51%). Point mutations were present in gyrA, gyrB, parC, and/or parE genes among 34 of the 102 naladixic acid-resistant isolates. Two isolates contained class 1 integrons carrying aadA gene conferring streptomycin and spectinomycin resistance. The findings suggest that many antimicrobial agents commonly used in companion animals may not constitute appropriate therapy for canine pseudomonas infections.