DETECTION OF DRUG-RESISTANT EXTENDED-SPECTRUM AND AmpCβ- LACTAMASES PRODUCING ESCHERICHIA COLI FROM POULTRY FAECAL SAMPLES IN WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Escherichia coli is quite a common and sometimes pathogenic bacterium that can cause acute to severe infection in poultry birds affecting their performance. E. coli can also cause a few extra-intestinal infections too in poultry birds. Nowadays antimicrobial resistance is quite a menace which is reported from several gram-negative bacteria including E. coli. These traits in E. coli are governed by a few & beta;-lactamases producing genes which may also be associated with plasmids in the pathogen. This study aimed to detect the presence of extended-spectrum (ESBL) and AmpC (ACBL) beta-lactamases producing E. Coli from fecal samples of diseased and apparently healthy poultry birds from different districts of West Bengal, India. A total of 177 (62.32%) E. coli isolates were detected and confirmed from the poultry fecal samples/ cloacal swabs (n=284) collected in this study. All isolates were typical in morphology. One hundred thirty-two (74.58%) bacterial isolates were positive for phenotypical beta-lactamases production, of which 83 (46.89%) were positive for phenotypical ACBL production. A total of 41 and 17 isolates were found to be positive for PCR detection of the blaCTXM and blaSHV genes respectively. No blaTEM gene was detected. Again 95 (53.67%) isolates possessed the blaAmpC gene as detected in this study. Antibiogram of the ESBLproducing E. coli isolates (49) revealed a significantly high level of resistance against most of the commonly used antimicrobials like ceftriaxone, ampicillin (both 100%), cefotaxime (97.96%), ceftazidime (91.84%) amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (85.71%), azithromycin, tetracycline, norfloxacin (@70-75%). These isolates were found to be sensitive (@ 96-81%) against a few antimicrobials, viz. amikacin, imipenem, gentamicin, and ampicillin/sulbactam which is a major point of concern.