This study was conducted to evaluate the potential existence of pathogenicEscherichia coli in smallholding dairy buffaloes, their products as well as in some environmental sources. In total, 150 samples including an equal sample size (n = 25) of raw milk, Kareish cheese, water, feed, udder and rectal swabs were examined. Phenotypic and genotypic procedures were used to characterize the bacterial population. Twenty-eight isolates were confirmed as E. coli from the examined samples (18.66%). The recovered isolates were categorized as Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (n=11),Enteropathogenic E. coli(n=9), Enterotoxigenic E. coli(n= 5)and Enteroinvasive E. coli (n=3). All isolates were resistant to erythromycin followed by oxacillin (89.28%), and nalidixic acid (67.85%), while 96% of the recovered strains displayed high sensitivity to imipenem. A great proportion of the recovered E. coli (67.9%) exhibited multidrug resistance. The majority of isolates (92.9%) harbored stx1either alone or in association with stx2 which present in 60.7% (17/28) while eaeA genes were detected in 50% among the recovered isolates in association with stx1 or combined with stx2 (n =11). Twelve isolates (42.86%) expressed all the examined beta lactamase encoding genes; while only 25% of the isolates harbored all tested beta lactamase genes in common with stx1, stx2 and eaeA genes.The results herein indicated that the pathogenicE. coli could be present in the examined samples which pose a relevant threat and negative impact on animal as well as consumer health. The study emphasizes the necessity of developing long-term strategies to assure dairy food safety.
Key words: Pathogenic E. coli, Smallholding buffaloes ,Environment, Dairy products.
|
