High Prevalence of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase CTX-M–Producing Escherichia coli in Small-Scale Poultry Farming in Rural Ecuador

Hayden D. Hedman School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan;

Search for other papers by Hayden D. Hedman in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Joseph N. S. Eisenberg Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan;

Search for other papers by Joseph N. S. Eisenberg in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Karla A. Vasco Microbiology Institute, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador;

Search for other papers by Karla A. Vasco in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Christopher N. Blair Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan;

Search for other papers by Christopher N. Blair in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Gabriel Trueba Microbiology Institute, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador;

Search for other papers by Gabriel Trueba in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Veronica J. Berrocal Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan;

Search for other papers by Veronica J. Berrocal in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
Lixin Zhang Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lancing, Michigan

Search for other papers by Lixin Zhang in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.18-0173
Volume/Issue:
Volume 100: Issue 2
Page(s):
374–376
Restricted access
Get Permissions

Small-scale farming may have large impacts on the selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance to humans. We conducted an observational study to evaluate antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli populations from poultry and humans in rural northwestern Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Our study site is a remote region with historically low resistance levels of third-generation antibiotics such cefotaxime (CTX), a clinically relevant antibiotic, in both poultry and humans. Our study revealed 1) high CTX resistance (66.1%) in farmed broiler chickens, 2) an increase in CTX resistance over time in backyard chicken not fed antibiotics (2.3–17.9%), and 3) identical blaCTX-M sequences from human and chicken bacteria, suggesting a spillover event. These findings provide evidence that small-scale meat production operations have direct impacts on the spread and selection of clinically important antibiotics among underdeveloped settings.

Author Notes

Address correspondence to Joseph N. S. Eisenberg, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. E-mail: jnse@umich.edu

Financial support: This work was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (grant R01AI050038), the National Science Foundation, Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program (grant 08119234), the Courtney Wilson Memorial Award, the International Institute Fellowship at the University of Michigan, Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan, and the Tinker Field Research Grant through the Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Michigan.

Authors’ addresses: Hayden D. Hedman, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, E-mail: hedmanh@umich.edu. Joseph N. S. Eisenberg, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, E-mail: jnse@umich.edu. Karla A. Vasco and Gabriel Trueba, Institute of Microbiology, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador, E-mails: kvasco@usfq.edu.ec and gtrueba@usfqedu.ec. Christopher N. Blair, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, E-mail: chbl@med.umich.edu. Veronica J. Berrocal, Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, E-mail: berrocal@umich.edu. Lixin Zhang, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, E-mail: lxzhang@epi.msu.edu.

Copyright:
© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2019
Received:
27 Feb 2018
|
Accepted:
17 Oct 2018
|
Published Online:
19 Nov 2018
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
  • 1.

    Okeno TO, Kahi AK, Peters KJ, 2012. Characterization of indigenous chicken production systems in Kenya. Trop Anim Health Prod 44: 601–608.

  • 2.

    Mack S, Hoffmann D, Otte J, 2005. The contribution of poultry to rural development. Worlds Poult Sci J 61: 7–14.

  • 3.

    Dibner JJ, Richards JD, 2005. Antibiotic growth promoters in agriculture: history and mode of action. Poult Sci 84: 634–643.

  • 4.

    Levy S, FitzGeralad GB, Macone AB, 1976. Spread of antibiotic-resistant plasmids from chicken to chicken and from chicken to man. Nature 260: 40–42.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 5.

    Braykov NP et al. 2016. Antibiotic resistance in animal and environmental samples associated with small-scale poultry farming in northwestern Ecuador. mSphere 1: 1–15.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 6.

    Moser KA et al. 2018. The role of mobile genetic elements in the spread of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli from chickens to humans in small-scale production poultry operations in rural Ecuador. Am J Epidemol 187: 558–567.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 7.

    Bouallègue-Godet O, Salem BS, Fabre L, Demartin M, Grimont PAD, Mzoughi R, Weill F, 2005. Nosocomial outbreak caused by Salmonella enterica serotype livingstone producing CTX-M-27 extended-spectrum β-lactamase in a neonatal unit in Sousse, Tunisia. J Clin Microbiol 43: 1037–1044.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 8.

    Barlow RS, Fegan N, Gobius KU, 2007. A comparison of antibiotic resistance integrons in cattle from separate beef meat production systems at slaughter. J App Microbiol 104: 65–658.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 9.

    Gebreyes WA, Thakur S, Morrow WEM, 2005. Campylobacter coli: prevalence and antimicrobial resistance in antimicrobial-free (ABF) swine production systems. J Antimicrob Chemoth 56: 765–768.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 10.

    Heur OE, Pedersen K, Andersen JS, Madsen M, 2001. Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of thermophilic Campylobacter in organic and conventional broiler flocks. Lett Appl Microbiol 33: 269–274.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 11.

    Quintana-Hayashi MP, Thakur S, 2012. Longitudinal study of the persistence of antimicrobial-resistant campylobacter strains in distinct swine production systems on farms, at slaughter, and in the environment. Appl Environ Microbiol 78: 2698–2705.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 12.

    Ray KA, Warnick LD, Mitchell RM, Kaneen JB, 2006. Antimicrobial susceptibility of salmonella from organic and conventional dairy farms. J Dairy Sci 89: 2038–2050.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 13.

    Graham JP, Eisenberg JNS, Trueba G, Zhang L, Johnson TJ, 2017. Small-scale food animal production and antimicrobial resistance: mountain, molehill, or something in-between? Environ Health Perspect 125: 1–5.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 14.

    Guo X, Stedtfeld RD, Hedman H, Eisenberg JNS, Trueba G, Yin D, Tiedje JM, Zhang L, 2018. Antibiotic resistome associated with small-scale poultry production in rural Ecuador. Environ Sci Tech 52: 8165–8172.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 15.

    Lowenstein C, Waters WF, Roess A, Leibler JH, Graham JP, 2016. Animal husbandry practices and perceptions of zoonotic infectious disease risks among livestock keepers in a rural parish of Quito, Ecuador. Am J Trop Med Hyg 95: 450–1458.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
Past two years Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 82 82 19
Full Text Views 1191 218 2
PDF Downloads 288 47 1
 
Membership Banner
 
 
 
Affiliate Membership Banner
 
 
Research for Health Information Banner
 
 
CLOCKSS
 
 
 
Society Publishers Coalition Banner
Save