On-farm starling populations and other environmental and management factors associated with the presence of cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli among dairy cattle in Ohio.
Wild birds that forage around livestock facilities have been implicated as vectors of antimicrobial resistant organisms. Although antimicrobial resistant bacteria have been isolated from European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), their role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistant elements in livestock facilities needs further investigation. To determine whether on-farm starling density and other factors were associated with the presence of cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli among dairy cows in Ohio, bovine fecal pats from 150 farms were tested for the presence of cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli. Each farm was visited twice (during the summer and fall of 2007-2009). Multi-level logistic regression models with a random intercept to account for fecal pats collected within a specific visit to a farm were used to assess the associations. The percentage of samples with cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli was 13.4% and 13.6%, respectively. The percentage of farms having at least one sample testing positive for cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli was 56.7% and 48.7%, respectively. The odds of detecting cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli in the samples was significantly higher in 2007 compared to 2008 and 2009, in fall compared to summer, and from farms closer than 60km to starling night roost sites compared to the farms further than 60km. The presence of starlings during the day had a negative association with the likelihood of detecting cefotaxime resistant E. coli. Presence of calves also had a negative association with the likelihood of detecting both cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli. European starlings might play a role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistant agents in livestock facilities related to their daily population movements rather than the specific density of birds on farm during the day.
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. Electronic address: gasmelas@uoguelph.ca.
Genet A
GA
Medhanie
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
David L
DL
Pearl
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
Scott A
SA
McEwen
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
Michele T
MT
Guerin
Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
Claire M
CM
Jardine
Food Animal and Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA.
Jennifer
J
Schrock
Food Animal and Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA.
Jeffrey T
JT
LeJeune
D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology*; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000494:pharmacology; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D000072480:Farms; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D009820:Ohio; D046749:Starlings / Q000502:physiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D002439:Cefotaxime
Cefotaxime; Ciprofloxacin; E. coli; Logistic regression; Multi-level models; Starling