OAHN Poultry Network Research Project: Antimicrobial resistance in fecal E. coli and Salmonella isolates of small poultry flocks in Ontario, Canada
OAHN Poultry Research Project 2018-2019:
Antimicrobial resistance in fecal E.coli and Salmonella isolates of small poultry flocks in Ontario, Canada
Project Collaborators:
- Patrick Boerlin (Ontario Veterinary College)
- Marina Brash (Animal Health Laboratory)
- Michele Guerin (Ontario Veterinary College)
- Leonardo Susta (Ontario Veterinary College)
- Csaba Varga (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs)
A prospective surveillance study of small poultry cases submitted by veterinarians to the Animal Health Laboratory was conducted between October 2015 and September 2017. From each submission a pooled cecal sample was obtained and tested for the presence of fecal E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. From each positive sample 3 isolates were selected and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by using a broth microdilution technique.
A total of 433 E. coli isolates (358 chicken, 27 turkey, 24 duck, and 24 game bird), 15 Salmonella isolates (9 chicken, 3 turkey, and 3 duck), and 176 Campylobacter isolates (141 chicken, 21 turkey, 6 duck, and 8 game bird) were recovered.
Moderate (15-39% of isolates) to high (≥40% of isolates) proportion of E. coli isolates were resistant to tetracycline, streptomycin, sulfonamides, and ampicillin. Salmonella isolates were most frequently resistant to streptomycin, tetracycline, and sulfonamides. A high frequency of resistance to tetracycline was observed in the Campylobacter jejuni isolates from chickens (77%) and turkeys (100%), and in the Campylobacter coli isolates from turkeys (50%) and game birds (40%).
The high prevalence of resistance to antimicrobials frequently used to treat poultry bacterial diseases underlines the need of judicious antimicrobial use in small flocks. Our results can be used as a benchmark to measure changes in antimicrobial resistance in enteric bacteria of Ontario small poultry flocks.
To read the full report, click here: Antimicrobial resistance in fecal E. coli and Salmonella isolates of small poultry flocks in Ontario, Canada
Journal Articles
A two-year prospective study of small poultry flocks in Ontario, Canada, part 1: prevalence of viral and bacterial pathogens (Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, April 2019)
A two-year prospective study of small poultry flocks in Ontario, Canada, part 2: causes of morbidity and mortality (Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, April 2019)
Antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from small poultry flocks in Ontario, Canada: A two-year surveillance study (Plos One, August 2019)
Presentations
Posters
