Effects of in ovo probiotic administration on the incidence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli in broilers and an evaluation on its virulence and antimicrobial resistance properties

Abstract

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli ( APEC ) causes colibacillosis in poultry, which has been traditionally controlled by the prophylactic in-feed supplementation of antibiotics. However, antibiotics are being removed from poultry diets owing to the emergence of multidrug-resistant ( MDR ) bacteria. Therefore, alternatives to control APEC are required. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of in ovo inoculation of probiotics on the incidence of APEC in broilers and evaluate the virulence and antimicrobial resistance properties of the APEC isolates. On embryonic day 18, 4 in ovo treatments ( T ) were applied: T1 (Marek's vaccine [ MV ]), T2 (MV and Lactobacillus animalis ), T3 (MV and Lactobacillus reuteri ), and T4 (MV and Lactobacillus rhamnosus ). A total of 180 male broilers per treatment were randomly placed in 10 pens. The heart, liver, spleen, and yolk sac were collected on day 0, 14, 28, and 42. Presumptive E. coli isolates were confirmed by real-time PCR. The positive isolates were screened for the APEC-related genes ( iroN , ompT , hlyF , iss , and iutA ), and E. coli isolates containing one or more of these genes were identified as APEC-like strains. A total of 144 APEC-like isolates were isolated from 548 organ samples. No differences ( P > 0.05) among treatments were observed for the incidence of APEC-like strains in all organs when averaged over sampling days. However, when averaged over treatments, the incidence in the heart, liver, and yolk sac was different among sampling days; a significant increase was observed in these organs on day 14 compared with day 0. Twenty-five antimicrobial resistance genes were evaluated for all APEC-like isolates, and 92.4% of the isolates carried at least one antimicrobial resistance gene. Thirty-seven isolates were then selected for antimicrobial susceptibility testing; MDR strains accounted for 37.8% of the isolates. In conclusion, the in ovo inoculation of a single probiotic strain did not confer protection against APEC strains in broilers. The high prevalence of MDR isolates indicates that further research on antibiotic alternatives is required to prevent APEC infections in broilers.

Clinical and molecular characterisation of Vibrio furnissii isolates from patients with diarrhoea

“…Although the STR resistance of VFBJ01, VFBJ05 and VFBJ07 was consistent with the presence of strA and strB genes, the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the seven V. furnissii strains were not completely consistent with the presence of other antibiotic resistance genes. Similarly, prior studies have shown that resistance genes do not correlate with phenotypic resistance [13][14][15]. In the present study, the TET resistance of VFBJ05 and VFBJ07 was consistent with the positive detection of tetA and tetB; however, VFBJ01 and VFBJ02 were also resistant to TET despite having no tet genes.…”

Non-Antibiotics Strategies to Control Salmonella Infection in Poultry

“…Essentially, the principle of this technique was to provide nutrient solutions in the amniotic fluid of birds’ embryos (USA Patent #6,592,878 B2) [ 17 , 18 ], and it has been used to provide various types of nutrients, including carbohydrates (i.e., maltose, glucose), minerals (such as zinc), amino acids, prebiotics (mannanoligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides), symbiotics, and vitamins (ascorbic acid), among others [ 166 , 167 , 168 , 169 , 170 , 171 ]. Main reported effects, obtained through in ovo administration of nutrients, include improvements in nutrient absorption, faster development of jejunum villus, immune system stimulation, increasing in enzymes and transporters expression, increased resistance against pathogens, and early development of digestive tract and muscle tissues [ 18 , 172 ], which, directly or indirectly, may contribute to control Salmonella infection or to mitigate its negative effects. Table 8 lists some of the reports related to Salmonella infection control based on the use of in ovo technique.…”

In ovo Feeding as a Tool for Improving Performance and Gut Health of Poultry: A Review

“…The LAB significantly increased SCFA-producing Ruminococcaceae bacteria but reduced gram-negative bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family (such as E. coli ) at hatch day and post-hatch Day 7. The IOI of individual probiotic species ( Lactobacillus animalis ATCC 35046, Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 2837, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 23272), when injected on ED 18, showed no significant effect on the E. coli incidence at post-hatch period ( 119 ).…”