title: Decontamination treatments can increase the prevalence of resistance to antibiotics of Escherichia coli naturally present on poultry.
abstract: The main objective of this study was to determine the ability of various decontaminants to increase the prevalence of resistance to antibiotics in Escherichia coli populations on poultry. Chicken legs were dipped for 15 min into aqueous solutions (wt/vol) of trisodium phosphate (TSP; 12%), acidified sodium chlorite (ASC; 1200 ppm), ascorbic acid (AA; 2%) or citric acid (CA; 2%), or tap water (control). Samples were analyzed immediately after treatment (day 0) and after five days of storage at 7 ± 1 °C. A total of 250 E. coli isolates (50 from each group of samples; 25 on day 0 and 25 on day 5) were tested against twelve antibiotics of clinical significance by means of a standard disc-diffusion technique. A high prevalence of resistance to antibiotics was observed for E. coli strains from control samples, with three (6.0%) isolates sensitive, three (6.0%) resistant to one antibiotic and 44 (88.0%) isolates resistant to two or more antibiotics. Isolates from control samples had a lower prevalence of resistance than those from treated samples to ampicillin-sulbactam (P < 0.01, samples treated with TSP), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (P < 0.001, ASC, AA and CA), cephotaxime (P < 0.05, TSP), trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (P < 0.05, AA; P < 0.01, CA), tetracycline (P < 0.01, CA), ciprofloxacin (P < 0.001, ASC; P < 0.05, AA; P < 0.01, CA) and nitrofurantoin (P < 0.01, TSP). These results suggest that the chemical decontaminants tested could favor the emergence, selection and/or proliferation of antibiotic-resistant strains in microbial populations on poultry meat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Food Technology, Veterinary Faculty, University of León, Campus de Vegazana, s/n, 24071-León, Spain. rosa.capita@unileon.es
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capita
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Fernández
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernández-Buelta
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manteca
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alonso-Calleja
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D002645:Chickens; D002712:Chlorides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D061353:Food Storage; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010710:Phosphates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D012641:Selection, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002712:Chlorides; D004202:Disinfectants; D010710:Phosphates; D019343:Citric Acid; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; C018279:sodium phosphate; C001599:chlorite