Investigating the presence and antibiotic susceptibilities of Escherichia coli O157 and Listeria monocytogenes in ruminant feces and feed in Balıkesir province
Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine the presence, virulence factors, and
antibiotic susceptibilities of E. coli O157 and L. monocytogenes in ruminant
feces and feed. This study was carried out for the first time in Balıkesir
province. Feces, pellet feed, and silage samples were analyzed simultaneously
for E. coli O157 and L. monocytogenes using feces of one gram and feed of
twenty-five grams according to ISO 16654:2001/Amd 1:2017 and ISO 11290-
1, respectively. 38 (38%) E. coli O157 strains were isolated and identified from
a total of 100 ruminant feces. A total of 3 (3%) E. coli O157:H7 strains were
detected by PCR from one hundred ruminant fecal samples. In the study,
resistance to antibiotics increased, especially in E. coli O157 isolates. In this
study, enterohaemolysin was the predominant virulence factor among the E.
coli isolates, and it was thought that it was important for pathogenesis. The
Sxt1 gene was higher than the Stx2 gene. A total of 24 L. monocytogenes
strains were isolated from a total of 100 ruminant fecal samples and 50 silage
samples. Three of these strains were isolated from silage samples taken from
the farms, where L. monocytogenes was isolated from sheep feces. As a result,
poor quality silage could be an important source of infection for listeriosis in
Balıkesir province. Epidemiologically, poor quality silage was thought to be one
of the sources of listeriosis. It was thought that ruminant feces played an
important role as a reservoir in the spread and transmission of E. coli O157.
The antibiotic resistance status of E. coli O157 and L. monocytogenes isolates
should be monitored with epidemiological studies.
