Refining the definition of the avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) pathotype through inclusion of high-risk clonal groups

Johnson, Timothy J.; Miller, Elizabeth A.; Flores-Figueroa, Cristian; Munoz-Aguayo, Jeannette; Cardona, Carol J.; Fransen, Katie; Lighty, Megan Elizabeth Folk; Gonder, Eric; Nezworski, Jill; Haag, Adam; Behl, Michelle; Kromm, Michelle; Wileman, B. W.; Studniski, Marissa; Singer, Randall S.

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2022.102009

Cited by 24 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Strains were classified as APEC, a subtype of ExPEC pathotype, when at least four among iroN , iutA , iss , ompT , and hlyF genes were present [ 43 ]. Moreover, we tested on our isolates the refined definition of APEC according to Johnson T. et al [ 44 ]. Furthermore, we tested our fasta files using the ClermonTyper [ 45 ], a user-friendly tool for Escherichia species/phylogenetic group identification ( accessed on 9 November 2021).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Load, Virulence and Antibiotic-Resistant Traits of ESBL/Ampc E. coli from Broilers Raised on Conventional, Antibiotic-Free, and Organic Farms

Tofani

Albini²,

Blasi³

et al. 2022

Antibiotics

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Poultry is the most likely source of livestock-associated Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) and plasmid-mediated AmpC (pAmpC)-producing E. coli (EC) for humans. We tested the hypothesis that farming methods have an impact on the load of ESBL/pAmpC-EC in the gut of broilers at slaughter. Isolates (n=156) of antibiotic-free (AF), organic (O), and conventional (C) animals were characterized for antibiotic susceptibility and antibiotic resistance genes. Thirteen isolates were whole-genome sequenced. The average loads of ESBL/pAmpC-EC in cecal contents were 4.17 Log CFU/g for AF; 2.85 Log CFU/g for O; and 3.88 Log CFU/g for C type (p < 0.001). ESBL/pAmpC-EC isolates showed resistance to antibiotic classes historically used in poultry, including penicillins, tetracyclines, quinolones, and sulfonamides. Isolates from O and AF farms harbored a lower proportion of resistance to antibiotics than isolates from C farms. Among the determinants for ESBL/pAmpC, CTX-M-1 prevailed (42.7%), followed by TEM-type (29%) and SHV (19.8%). Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), belonging to ST117 and ST349, were identified in the collection. These data confirm the possible role of a broiler as an ESBL/AmpC EC and APEC reservoir for humans. Overall, our study suggests that antibiotic-free and organic production may contribute to a reduced exposure to ESBL/AmpC EC for the consumer.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Load, Virulence and Antibiotic-Resistant Traits of ESBL/Ampc E. coli from Broilers Raised on Conventional, Antibiotic-Free, and Organic Farms

Tofani

Albini²,

Blasi³

et al. 2022

Antibiotics

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“…Altogether, 35 of 45 diseased flocks were identified with a dominating APEC type, and ST23, ST117, ST371 and ST429 were more often found to cause disease in a flock alone than other STs. The latter indicates that these STs are possibly more pathogenic in poultry, compared to the STs more commonly identified in mixed infections with more than one ST within a flock [ 35 ]. Altogether, ten flocks exhibited a combination of several STs and the APEC types most commonly identified in combination with other STs were ST10, ST69, ST95 and ST101.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Without WGS data, the two distinct peaks of ST117 in 2014 [ 11 ] and ST23 in 2021, with possible distinct origins, would be considered the same APEC if only serotyping was performed, but two distinct APEC types if MLST was performed. Sequence types identified with several serotype profiles, on the other hand, suggests that a combination of two typing methods provides better differentiation between APEC isolates (for quick diagnosis in outbreak situations) [ 35 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even though APEC is considered a diverse pathogen, there is less variation amongst the most frequent STs reported [ 12 , 33 , 35 , 38 – 40 ]. The high prevalence of certain STs, however, may be due to small outbreaks of colibacillosis from a single source and within a limited period, possibly from higher up in the production pyramid [ 41 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, without a true, non-pathogenic control group for comparison, no valid conclusions may be drawn based on these data as these VAGs might be identified in all avian E. coli isolates regardless of pathogenicity. A recent study from Johnson et al [ 35 ] suggested two conserved VAGs associated with APEC plasmid, hlyF and ompT as potential markers for increased virulence potential in combination with other genetic features. In the present study, hlyF and ompT were identified in all ST23 and ST429 isolates and in 89 and 96% of isolates of other STs, respectively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A molecular epidemiological study on Escherichia coli in young chicks with colibacillosis identified two possible outbreaks across farms

Kravik

Kaspersen

Sjurseth

et al. 2023

Vet Res

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Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is the cause of colibacillosis outbreaks in young poultry chicks, resulting in acute to peracute death. The high morbidity and mortality caused by colibacillosis results in poor animal welfare, reduced sustainability and economical loss worldwide. To advance the understanding of the molecular epidemiology, genomic relatedness and virulence traits of APEC, we performed systematic sampling from 45 confirmed colibacillosis broiler flocks with high first week mortality (FWM) during 2018–2021. From these flocks, 219 APEC isolates were whole genome sequenced (WGS) and bioinformatic analyses were performed. The bioinformatic analyses included sequence typing (ST), serotyping, detection of virulence-associated genes (VAGs) and phylogenetic analysis. Our results showed a high prevalence of ST23, ST429 and ST95 among APEC isolates from Norwegian broiler flocks, and identified ST23, ST429, ST117 and ST371 to cause disease more often alone, compared to ST95, ST69 and ST10. Phylogenetic analyses, together with associated metadata, identified two distinct outbreaks of colibacillosis across farms caused by ST429 and ST23 and gave insight into expected SNP distances within and between flocks identified with the same ST. Further, our results highlighted the need for combining two typing methods, such as serotyping and sequence typing, to better discriminate strains of APEC. Ultimately, systematic sampling of APEC from multiple birds in a flock, together with WGS as a diagnostic tool is important to identify the disease-causing APEC within a flock and to detect outbreaks of colibacillosis across farms.

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Insights into Animal Carriage and Pathogen Surveillance in Latin America: The Case of STEC and APEC

Galarce

Sánchez

Kudva

et al. 2023

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Refining the definition of the avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) pathotype through inclusion of high-risk clonal groups

Cited by 24 publications

References 55 publications

Assessing the Load, Virulence and Antibiotic-Resistant Traits of ESBL/Ampc E. coli from Broilers Raised on Conventional, Antibiotic-Free, and Organic Farms

Assessing the Load, Virulence and Antibiotic-Resistant Traits of ESBL/Ampc E. coli from Broilers Raised on Conventional, Antibiotic-Free, and Organic Farms

A molecular epidemiological study on Escherichia coli in young chicks with colibacillosis identified two possible outbreaks across farms

Insights into Animal Carriage and Pathogen Surveillance in Latin America: The Case of STEC and APEC

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