title: First study on characterization of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes in verotoxigenic and enterotoxigenic E. coli isolated from raw milk and unpasteurized traditional cheeses in Romania.
abstract: The study focused on the incidence of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) in raw milk and traditional dairy cheeses marketed in Romania, characterizing the virulence and antibiotic resistance genes of these isolates. One hundred and twenty samples of raw milk and 80 samples of unpasteurized telemy cheese were collected and cultured according to the international standard protocol. All the characteristic E. coli cultures were analyzed for the presence of STa, STb, LT, stx1, and stx2 toxicity genes. The ETEC/VTEC strains were tested for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes, such as aadA1, tetA, tetB, tetC, tetG, dfrA1, qnrA, aaC, sul1, blaSHV, blaCMY, blaTEM, and ere(A), using PCR. The results showed that 27 samples (18.62%) were positive for one of the virulence genes investigated. 48.1% (n = 13) tested positive at the genes encoding for tetracycline resistance, tetA being the most prevalent one (61.5%; n = 8). A high percent (33.3%; n = 9) revealed the beta-lactamase (blaTEM) resistance gene, and none of the samples tested positive for blaCMYand blaSHVgenes. The genes responsible for resistance to sulfonamides (sul1) and trimethoprim (dfrA1) were detected in rates of 14.8% (n = 4) and 7.4% (n = 2), respectively. E. coli is highly prevalent in raw milk and unpasteurized cheeses marketed in Romania. These strains might represent an important reservoir of resistance genes which can easily spread into other European countries, given the unique market.
authors.affiliation: Animal Breeding and Food Safety Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Manastur Street No. 3/5, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabaran
authors.affiliation: Animal Breeding and Food Safety Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Manastur Street No. 3/5, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mihaiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomic Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Manastur Street No. 3/5, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. alexandru.tabaran@usamvcluj.ro.
authors.forename: Flaviu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tăbăran
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacology "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Liora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Colobatiu
authors.affiliation: Animal Breeding and Food Safety Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Manastur Street No. 3/5, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Oana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reget
authors.affiliation: Animal Breeding and Food Safety Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Manastur Street No. 3/5, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Mihai Marian
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Borzan
authors.affiliation: Animal Breeding and Food Safety Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Manastur Street No. 3/5, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Sorin Daniel
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Dan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002611:Cheese / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D054307:Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012383:Romania; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors