Identification of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic Resistance in Extraintestinal Pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolated from Broiler Carcasses Using MALDI-TOF MS
<i>Escherichia coli</i> contamination in poultry is a significant concern due to its potential to cause foodborne illness. The presence of extraintestinal pathogenic <i>E. coli</i> (ExPEC) strains in chicken carcasses can lead to severe human infections. This study investigat...
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2025-05-01
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| author | Jia-Tong Han Yu-Xuan Tang Si-Yi Wu Yi-Ran Chen Zhan-Peng Zou Hang Zeng Zhongjia Yu |
| author_facet | Jia-Tong Han Yu-Xuan Tang Si-Yi Wu Yi-Ran Chen Zhan-Peng Zou Hang Zeng Zhongjia Yu |
| author_sort | Jia-Tong Han |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Escherichia coli</i> contamination in poultry is a significant concern due to its potential to cause foodborne illness. The presence of extraintestinal pathogenic <i>E. coli</i> (ExPEC) strains in chicken carcasses can lead to severe human infections. This study investigates the prevalence, virulence, and antibiotic resistance of <i>E. coli</i> isolates from chicken carcasses processed in both wet market and industrial environments, with a focus on the detection capabilities of MALDI-TOF MS. A total of 119 <i>E. coli</i> isolates were obtained. Only a small proportion (5/119) carried enteropathogenic virulence genes. In contrast, 71.42% (85/119) of the isolates harbored multiple extraintestinal virulence genes. Among these, <i>iucC</i> and <i>sitA</i>, which are associated with systemic infections, were present in 68.24% (58/85) and 43.53% (37/85) of the isolates, respectively. Furthermore, 47.06% (56/119) of the isolates carrying at least two extraintestinal virulence genes were classified as ExPEC. Additionally, 94.6% (54/56) of ExPEC isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR), showing resistance to over three antibiotic classes, raising concerns about the spread of antibiotic resistance. MALDI-TOF MS profiling revealed significant heterogeneity among the ExPEC isolates, with no distinct clustering patterns based on processing environment or sampling site. These findings underscore the public health risks posed by ExPEC in poultry and emphasize the need for improved surveillance, stringent hygiene practices, and responsible antibiotic use in poultry production. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bb5885bab987456881e6258e4dcffaef |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj-art-bb5885bab987456881e6258e4dcffaef2025-08-20T03:14:43ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172025-05-0114550110.3390/pathogens14050501Identification of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic Resistance in Extraintestinal Pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolated from Broiler Carcasses Using MALDI-TOF MSJia-Tong Han0Yu-Xuan Tang1Si-Yi Wu2Yi-Ran Chen3Zhan-Peng Zou4Hang Zeng5Zhongjia Yu6School of Animal Science and Technology, Foshan University, Foshan 528225, ChinaSchool of Animal Science and Technology, Foshan University, Foshan 528225, ChinaSchool of Animal Science and Technology, Foshan University, Foshan 528225, ChinaSchool of Animal Science and Technology, Foshan University, Foshan 528225, ChinaSchool of Animal Science and Technology, Foshan University, Foshan 528225, ChinaSchool of Food and Bioengineering, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, ChinaSchool of Animal Science and Technology, Foshan University, Foshan 528225, China<i>Escherichia coli</i> contamination in poultry is a significant concern due to its potential to cause foodborne illness. The presence of extraintestinal pathogenic <i>E. coli</i> (ExPEC) strains in chicken carcasses can lead to severe human infections. This study investigates the prevalence, virulence, and antibiotic resistance of <i>E. coli</i> isolates from chicken carcasses processed in both wet market and industrial environments, with a focus on the detection capabilities of MALDI-TOF MS. A total of 119 <i>E. coli</i> isolates were obtained. Only a small proportion (5/119) carried enteropathogenic virulence genes. In contrast, 71.42% (85/119) of the isolates harbored multiple extraintestinal virulence genes. Among these, <i>iucC</i> and <i>sitA</i>, which are associated with systemic infections, were present in 68.24% (58/85) and 43.53% (37/85) of the isolates, respectively. Furthermore, 47.06% (56/119) of the isolates carrying at least two extraintestinal virulence genes were classified as ExPEC. Additionally, 94.6% (54/56) of ExPEC isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR), showing resistance to over three antibiotic classes, raising concerns about the spread of antibiotic resistance. MALDI-TOF MS profiling revealed significant heterogeneity among the ExPEC isolates, with no distinct clustering patterns based on processing environment or sampling site. These findings underscore the public health risks posed by ExPEC in poultry and emphasize the need for improved surveillance, stringent hygiene practices, and responsible antibiotic use in poultry production.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/5/501chicken carcassesMALDI-TOF MSextraintestinal pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> (ExPEC)multidrug resistancevirulence genes |
| spellingShingle | Jia-Tong Han Yu-Xuan Tang Si-Yi Wu Yi-Ran Chen Zhan-Peng Zou Hang Zeng Zhongjia Yu Identification of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic Resistance in Extraintestinal Pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolated from Broiler Carcasses Using MALDI-TOF MS Pathogens chicken carcasses MALDI-TOF MS extraintestinal pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> (ExPEC) multidrug resistance virulence genes |
| title | Identification of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic Resistance in Extraintestinal Pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolated from Broiler Carcasses Using MALDI-TOF MS |
| title_full | Identification of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic Resistance in Extraintestinal Pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolated from Broiler Carcasses Using MALDI-TOF MS |
| title_fullStr | Identification of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic Resistance in Extraintestinal Pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolated from Broiler Carcasses Using MALDI-TOF MS |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic Resistance in Extraintestinal Pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolated from Broiler Carcasses Using MALDI-TOF MS |
| title_short | Identification of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic Resistance in Extraintestinal Pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolated from Broiler Carcasses Using MALDI-TOF MS |
| title_sort | identification of virulence genes and antibiotic resistance in extraintestinal pathogenic i escherichia coli i isolated from broiler carcasses using maldi tof ms |
| topic | chicken carcasses MALDI-TOF MS extraintestinal pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> (ExPEC) multidrug resistance virulence genes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/5/501 |
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