No abstract

This study aimed at detecting the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant serotypes of Escherichia coli in Cochin estuary, India. E. coli strains were isolated during the period January 2010–December 2011 from five different stations set at Cochin estuary. Water samples from five different stations in Cochin estuary were collected on a monthly basis for a period of two years. Isolates were serotyped, antibiogram-phenotyped for twelve antimicrobial agents, and genotyped by polymerase chain reaction for uid gene that codes for β-D-glucuronidase. These E. coli strains from Cochin estuary were tested against twelve antibiotics to determine the prevalence of multiple antibiotic resistance among them. The results revealed that more than 53.33% of the isolates were multiple antibiotic resistant. Thirteen isolates showed resistance to sulphonamides and two of them contained the sul 1 gene. Class 1 integrons were detected in two E. coli strains which were resistant to more than seven antibiotics. In the present study, O serotyping, antibiotic sensitivity, and polymerase chain reaction were employed with the purpose of establishing the present distribution of multiple antibiotic-resistant serotypes, associated with E. coli isolated from different parts of Cochin estuary.

Introduction: Escherichia coli strains can cause a variety of intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains have the ability to cause severe extraintestinal infections. Multidrug resistance among ExPEC could complicate human infections. Methodology: Escherichia coli strains were isolated during the period of January 2010 to December 2012 from five different stations set at Cochin estuary. Susceptibility testing was determined by the disk-diffusion method using nine different antimicrobial agents. A total of 155 strains of Escherichia coli were screened for the presence of virulence factor genes including papAH, papC, sfa/focDE, iutA,and kpsMT II associated with ExPEC. Results: Among the 155 E. coli isolates, 26 (16.77%), carried two or more virulence genes typical of ExPEC. Furthermore, 19.23% of the ExPEC isolates with multidrug resistance were identified to belong to phylogenetic groups B2 and D. Statistically significant association of iutA gene in ExPEC was found with papC (p < 0.001) and kpsMT II (p < 0.001) genes. ExPEC isolates were mainly resistant to ampicillin (23.07%), tetracycline (19.23%), co-trimoxazole (15.38%), and cefotaxime (15.38%). The adhesion genes papAH and sfa/focDE were positively associated with resistance to gentamicin, chloramphenicol, and cefotaxime (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Co-occurrence of virulence factor genes with antibiotic resistance among ExPEC poses considerable threat to those who use this aquatic system for a living and for recreation.

No abstract