Determination of antibiotic resistance prototype and in vitro R plasmid conjugation of Escherichia coli isolates from broiler feces

Abstract

The objective of the present investigation was to ascertain the prevalence of antibiotic resistance amongst E. coli strains obtained from broiler chicken in two different poultry farms against antibiotics that have a limited or no use in poultry and to advocate a probable mechanism of antibiotic resistance transfer between strains. A high resistance rate was seen against azteronam (100%), streptomycin (88-92%) followed by amoxicillin (68-76%), ceftrioxone (60-68%) and cefepime (56-68%). However reasonably lower levels of resistance were seen towards coamoxiclave (40%), ciprofloxacin (24-28%), and ofloxacin (36-40%). Meropenem emerged as least resistant (16-28%) antimicrobial agent. Likewise, virtually entire sum of isolates were reported as resistant to not less than three antibiotics (multidrug resistant). It was noticed that above half of the isolates tested were capable of conjugative R plasmid transfer between strains. We finally concluded that there existed a significant evidence of multidrug resistance in E. coli isolates obtained from two poultry farms, capable of conjugative transfer of resistance between isolates and probably to animals and human.