1Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, N.T.R. College of Veterinary Science, Gannavaram, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
2Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
3Department of Veterinary Parasitology, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
4Department of Veterinary Medicine, N.T.R College of Veterinary Science, Gannavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India
*Corresponding author: B Bhavana; E-mail: bodempudibhavana@gmail.com
Online Published on 21 September, 2022.
Foodborne illness caused by multidrug resistant STEC is one of the most important global public health problems in the world. So, the present study was undertaken to know the prevalence of β-lactamase (ESBL and AmpC) producing STEC in retail meats and chicken cloacal swabs by PCR. A total of 183 samples (135 foods of animal origin and 48 chicken cloacal swabs) collected from retail meat shops and poultry farms in and around Krishna district were subjected to cultural isolation and confirmation of β-lactamase producing STEC by different PCR assays. The overall prevalence of E. coli was found to be 37.15% (68/183) by species-specific PCR. The STEC specific virulence genes stx1, hlyA and stx2 were detected in 10.29%, 2.941% and 1.470%, of E. coli isolates, respectively and no eae A gene was identified. ESBL and/or AmpC-producing E. coli were found in 80.88% (55/68) of isolates with blaTEM being the predominant gene (87.27%) followed by blaCTX-M-2 (9.09%), blaOXA (7.27%), bla DHA (3.63%) and CIT (1.81%). β-lactamase activity was detected in 66.66% of STEC isolates. These findings revealed that retail meats are the potential source of ESBL and/or AmpC-producing E. coli.
• Prevalence of β-lactamase producing STEC in retail meats
• Retail meats were found to be potential source for β-lactamase producing STEC
E. coli, PCR, STEC, ESBL, AmpC β- lactamases
