Antimicrobial use and resistance in Escherichia coli from healthy food-producing animals in Guadeloupe

Abstract

Abstract Background Selection pressure exerted by overuse of antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine is responsible for increasing resistance to antibiotics. The objectives of this study were (i) to better understand antimicrobial use in pigs, beef cattle, and poultry on farms of Guadeloupe, French West Indies, and (ii) to acquire data on antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli in these food-producing animals. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 45 farms on Guadeloupe. Practical use of antimicrobials was documented in declarative interviews between March and July 2018. Fecal samples were collected from 216 pigs, beef cattle, and broiler chickens between January 2018 and May 2019. The samples were cultured for bacterial isolation and identification, antimicrobial testing, and screening for blaCTX−M, blaTEM, and tetA resistance genes by PCR on extracted genomic DNA. Results The study shows rational use of antimicrobials consisting of occasional use for curative treatment by veterinary prescription. Tetracycline was the most commonly used antimicrobial, but this was not correlated to E. coli resistance. Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) E. coli isolates were detected in 7.3% of pigs, 14.7% of beef cattle and 35.3% of broilers. blaCTX−M−1 was the predominant gene found in ESBL E. coli isolates (68.8%), followed by blaCTX−M−15 (31.3%). Conclusion Despite rational use of antimicrobials, the rate of ESBL E. coli in food-producing animals in Guadeloupe, although moderate, is a concern. Further studies are in progress to better define the genetic background of the ESBL E. coli isolates.