Detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli on flies at poultry farms

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2014 Jan;80(1):239-46. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02616-13. Epub 2013 Oct 25.

Abstract

In the Netherlands, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli bacteria are highly prevalent in poultry, and chicken meat has been implicated as a source of ESBL-producing E. coli present in the human population. The current study describes the isolation of ESBL-producing E. coli from house flies and blow flies caught at two poultry farms, offering a potential alternative route of transmission of ESBL-producing E. coli from poultry to humans. Overall, 87 flies were analyzed in 19 pools. ESBL-producing E. coli bacteria were detected in two fly pools (10.5%): a pool of three blow flies from a broiler farm and a pool of eight house flies from a laying-hen farm. From each positive fly pool, six isolates were characterized and compared with isolates obtained from manure (n = 53) sampled at both farms and rinse water (n = 10) from the broiler farm. Among six fly isolates from the broiler farm, four different types were detected with respect to phylogenetic group, sequence type (ST), and ESBL genotype: A0/ST3519/SHV-12, A1/ST10/SHV-12, A1/ST58/SHV-12, and B1/ST448/CTX-M-1. These types, as well as six additional types, were also present in manure and/or rinse water at the same farm. At the laying-hen farm, all fly and manure isolates were identical, carrying blaTEM-52 in an A1/ST48 genetic background. The data imply that flies acquire ESBL-producing E. coli at poultry farms, warranting further evaluation of the contribution of flies to dissemination of ESBL-producing E. coli in the community.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chickens
  • Diptera / microbiology*
  • Escherichia coli / classification
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology*
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / isolation & purification*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Manure / microbiology
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Molecular Typing
  • Netherlands
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Water Microbiology
  • beta-Lactamases / genetics*
  • beta-Lactamases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Manure
  • beta-Lactamases