Prevalence of class 1 integrons and antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes among enteric bacteria found in multisite group-level cohorts of humans and swine

J Food Prot. 2005 Dec;68(12):2693-7. doi: 10.4315/0362-028x-68.12.2693.

Abstract

The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genotypic characteristics (class 1 integrons and antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes) among commensal Escherichia coli isolated from humans and swine in a semiclosed, integrated farrow-to-fork population was evaluated in a cross-sectional study. The objective of this study was to establish baseline antimicrobial resistance patterns of enteric bacteria from animals and humans within the study population; specifically, genotypic traits both unique and common to commensal E. coli derived from the different sources were evaluated. There were significant differences between host species; swine isolates were more likely to harbor integrons (odds ratio = 2.33, P = 0.0487). No significant differences were found for facility location, facility type, human housing cohort, or time of day (P > 0.05). There were significant differences (P = 0.006) among swine production groups (fecal samples from boars, dry sows, finishers, growers, intake boars, lactating sows, the lagoon, nursery piglets, influent, and piglets); the grower group was less likely than the nursery group to harbor a class 1 integron (nursery as referent: odds ratio = 0.22, P = 0.04). Among all isolates with an integron present, human isolates were more likely to harbor an antimicrobial resistance gene cassette (odds ratio = 6.36, P = 0.003). When isolates that possessed gene cassettes coding for resistance to specific antimicrobials were compared, no significant differences between host species (P > 0.05) were observed.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Integrons / genetics*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Prevalence
  • Swine / microbiology*
  • Texas

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents