Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pattern of milk borne Staphylococcus spp. and Escherichia coli in Jammu region

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is a public health hazard that affects humans, animals as well as the environment. Antibiotics are becoming gradually ineffective as drug-resistance spreads globally. The dairy industry is a major consumer of antibiotics globally and treatment of infected udder is the most common reason of use of antibiotics in cows. The study highlights the present status of microbial resistance to commonly used antibiotics in dairy animals of Jammu, a region in northern India. The study showed high prevalence of methicillin and tetracycline resistance among E. coli and S. aureus of udder origin. A high percentage (60%) of the isolates showed resistance to two or more than two classes of antibiotics with high prevalence of methicillin and tetracycline resistance. Methicilin resistance was more prevalent in Gram positive Staphylococci, whereas tetracycline resistance was frequent in both Gram positive Staphylococci and Gram negative E. coli. Abundance of tetracycline resistant (Tet A, Tet O and Tet M) and methicillin resistant (MecA, MecI and MecR) genes were fairly common in E. coli and S. aureus of udder origin.