Antimicrobial resistance profiles and whole-genome sequence analysis of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production in commensal Escherichia coli from poultry in Türkiye
PLOS ONE, cilt.21, sa.4 April, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 21 Sayı: 4 April
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1371/journal.pone.0344717
- Dergi Adı: PLOS ONE
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts Core, EMBASE, Index Islamicus, Linguistic Bibliography, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, zbMATH, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Hatay Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study examines phenotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and its genetic background in Escherichia coli isolated from poultry flocks in Türkiye, with a particular focus on extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains. A total of 918 E. coli isolates obtained from ceacal samples of chickens (n = 745) and turkeys (n = 173) were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the agar disk diffusion method. Overall, high resistance rates were observed to tylosin (99.6%), ampicillin (90.8%), and oxytetracycline (84.0%), while resistance to third-generation cephalosporins (cefotaxime/ceftazidime) was detected in 11.4% of the isolates. Notably, AMR profiles varied significantly between poultry companies, indicating heterogeneous antimicrobial selection pressures within the production sector. ESBL-producing E. coli isolates exhibited high levels of multidrug-resistance, particularly to sulfamethoxazole (91.4%) and chloramphenicol (90.5%). Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates (n = 87) identified several ESBL-encoding genes, with blaCTX-M-55 being the most prevalent (51.7%). Plasmid analysis demonstrated frequent associations of blaCTX-M-15 with IncFIB replicon, while blaCMY-2 was mainly linked to IncHI2A and IncI1-I plasmid types. In silico typing identified 44 distinct serotypes and 35 sequence types (STs), with O23:H4 and ST1011 being the most detected, highlighting the broad population structure of poultry associated E. coli. Virulence-associated genes were widely distributed among ESBL-producing isolates and predominantly related to adhesion, iron acquisition, stress response, and secretion systems. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first comprehensive WGS-based analysis of AMR in commensal E. coli from poultry in Türkiye, revealing significant public health concerns and the need for enhanced monitoring strategies.