Corrigendum: Comparative microbiome analysis of beef cattle, the feedyard environment, and airborne particulate matter as a function of probiotic and antibiotic use, and change in pen environment.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1348171.].

Comparative microbiome analysis of beef cattle, the feedyard environment, and airborne particulate matter as a function of probiotic and antibiotic use, and change in pen environment.

Introduction: Intensive beef cattle production systems are frequently implicated as a source of bacteria that can be transferred to nearby humans and animals via effluent water, manure used as fertilizer, or airborne particulate matter. It is crucial to understand microbial population dynamics due to manure pack desiccation, antibiotic usage, and antibiotic alternatives within beef cattle and their associated feedyard environment. Understanding how bacterial communities change in the presence of antibiotics can also improve management practices for reducing the spread of foodborne bacteria. Methods: In this study, we aimed to compare the microbiomes within cattle feces, the feedyard environment and artificially produced airborne particulate matter as a function of pen change and treatment with tylosin or probiotics. We utilized 16S rRNA sequencing to compare bacterial communities among sample types, study days, and treatment groups. Results: Bacterial community diversity varied as a function of sampling day and pen change (old or new) within fecal and manure pack samples. Manure pack samples from old pens and new pens contained diverse communities of bacteria on days 0 and 84; however, by day 119 of the study these taxonomic differences were less evident. Particulate matter samples exhibited significant differences in community diversity and predominant bacterial taxa compared to the manure pack they originated from. Treatment with tylosin did not meaningfully impact bacterial communities among fecal, environmental, or particulate matter samples; however, minor differences in bacterial community structure were observed in feces from cattle treated with probiotics. Discussion: This study was the first to characterize and compare microbial communities within feces, manure pack, and airborne particulate matter from the same location and as a function of tylosin and probiotic treatment, and pen change. Although fecal and environmental samples are commonly used in research studies and other monitoring programs to infer public health risk of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance determinants from feedyard environments, our study suggests that these samples may not be appropriate to infer public health risk associated with airborne particulate matter.

Use of critically important antimicrobial classes early in life may adversely impact bacterial resistance profiles during adult years: potential co-selection for plasmid-borne fluoroquinolone and macrolide resistance via extended-spectrum beta-lactam use in dairy cattle.

The transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes commonly occurs via vertical and horizontal gene transfer, as such genes are often found on the same mobile genetic element. This occurrence can lead to the co-selection of resistance to antimicrobials without their application. Dairy cattle located in the south-western United States were enrolled in a matched-pair longitudinal study to evaluate the effects of a two-dose ceftiofur treatment for metritis on levels of third-generation cephalosporin resistance among faecal Escherichia coli temporally. Escherichia coli chosen for further investigation were isolated on selective media, harboured extended-spectrum beta-lactam, fluoroquinolone and macrolide resistance genes. This combination has previously been unreported; importantly, it included genes encoding for resistance to antibiotics that can only be used in dairy cattle less than 20 months of age. Fluoroquinolones, macrolides and third and higher generation cephalosporins are considered critically important and highest priority for human medicine by the World Health Organization.

Macrolide-susceptible probiotic Enterococcus faecium ST296 exhibits faecal-environmental-oral microbial community cycling among beef cattle in feedlots.

Enterococci are included in the United States National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System to track antibiotic resistance among commensal Gram-positive enteric bacteria, largely due to their high abundance in food animals and in retail meat. In the U.S. cattle industry, macrolides are used to prevent and control liver abscesses, which cause significant economic losses. Previous studies have suggested that feeding tylosin and the intensity of the pen environment, both expand and sustain respectively the prevalence of multidrug resistance among enterococci in feedlot cattle. This has led to research into alternative feed supplements and improved stewardship practices. In a randomized controlled trial, we measured the impact of a probiotic and an altered pen environment on antimicrobial resistance among faecal Enterococcus spp. in cattle fed tylosin. Supplementing cattle with an Enterococcus faecium and Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based probiotic yielded the isolation of E. faecium of the probiotic sequence type (ST296) from faecal and environmental samples in treatment groups, as well as from cattle and the manure pack in nearby pens. Of importance, the probiotic strain also was found in a desiccated and milled manure pack sample taken 120 days after the initial trial ended. Phylogenetic and SNP analyses revealed clonal survival and spread compatible with faecal-environmental-oral recycling of the probiotic strain within and among cattle and pens. The increase in prevalence of the ST296 strain occurred concomitant with a decrease in ST240, the dominant sequence type associated with ermB and tet(M) resistance genes in this trial. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: We demonstrate that a macrolide-susceptible probiotic Enterococcus faecium ST296 strain fed to beef cattle becomes fully embedded in the microbial community cycling of bacteria via faecal-environmental-oral transmission within and among feedlot pens. An initial investment in feeding the probiotic is thereby leveraged into expanding numbers of susceptible bacteria in cattle and their environment, even among those cattle fed tylosin.

Serotype Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance among Salmonella enterica Isolates from Patients at an Equine Referral Hospital.

Although Salmonella enterica can produce life-threatening colitis in horses, certain serotypes are more commonly associated with clinical disease. Our aim was to evaluate the proportional morbidity attributed to different serotypes, as well as the phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Salmonella isolates from patients at an equine referral hospital in the southern United States. A total of 255 Salmonella isolates was obtained from clinical samples of patients admitted to the hospital between 2007 and 2015. Phenotypic resistance to 14 antibiotics surveilled by the U.S. National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System was determined using a commercially available panel. Whole-genome sequencing was used to identify serotypes and genotypic AMR. The most common serotypes were Salmonella enterica serotype Newport (18%), Salmonella enterica serotype Anatum (15.2%), and Salmonella enterica serotype Braenderup (11.8%). Most (n = 219) of the isolates were pansusceptible, while 25 were multidrug resistant (≥3 antimicrobial classes). Genes encoding beta-lactam resistance, such as blaCMY-2, blaSHV-12, blaCTX-M-27, and blaTEM-1B, were detected. The qnrB2 and aac(6')-Ib-cr genes were present in isolates with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. Genes encoding resistance to gentamicin (aph(3')-Ia, aac(6')-IIc), streptomycin (strA and strB), sulfonamides (sul1), trimethoprim (dfrA), phenicols (catA), tetracyclines [tet(A) and tet(E)], and macrolides [ere(A)] were also identified. The main predicted incompatibility plasmid type was I1 (10%). Core genome-based analyses revealed phylogenetic associations between isolates of common serotypes. The presence of AMR Salmonella in equine patients increases the risk of unsuccessful treatment and causes concern for potential zoonotic transmission to attending veterinary personnel, animal caretakers, and horse owners. Understanding the epidemiology of Salmonella in horses admitted to referral hospitals is important for the prevention, control, and treatment of salmonellosis.IMPORTANCE In horses, salmonellosis is a leading cause of life-threatening colitis. At veterinary teaching hospitals, nosocomial outbreaks can increase the risk of zoonotic transmission, lead to restrictions on admissions, impact hospital reputation, and interrupt educational activities. The antimicrobials most often used in horses are included in the 5th revision of the World Health Organization's list of critically important antimicrobials for human medicine. Recent studies have demonstrated a trend of increasing bacterial resistance to drugs commonly used to treat Salmonella infections. In this study, we identify temporal trends in the distribution of Salmonella serotypes and their mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance; furthermore, we are able to determine the likely origin of several temporal clusters of infection by using whole-genome sequencing. These data can be used to focus strategies to better contain the dissemination and enhance the mitigation of Salmonella infections and to provide evidence-based policies and guidelines to steward antimicrobial use in veterinary medicine.

Effects of dietary chlortetracycline, Origanum essential oil, and pharmacological Cu and Zn on growth performance of nursery pigs.

Two 47-d experiments were conducted with 21-d-old weaned pigs (PIC 1050, initially 6.1 kg) to determine the effects of feeding low or high doses of chlortetracycline (CTC) and antibiotic alternatives (Cu, Zn, and essential oil [EO]), alone or in combination, on growth performance. On d 5 postweaning, pens of 5 pigs were allotted to diet treatments with 8 (exp. 1) or 7 (exp. 2) replicate pens per treatment. In exp. 1, treatments were fed from d 5 to 26 postweaning and arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial with main effects of added ZnO (0 vs. 2,500 ppm of Zn) and CTC (0, 55, or 441 ppm). In exp. 2, treatments were fed from d 5 to 33 and structured in a (2 × 2 × 2) + 2 factorial with main effects of added CuSO4 (0 vs. 125 ppm Cu), added ZnO (0 vs. 3,000 ppm Zn from d 5 to 12 and 2,000 ppm Zn from d 12 to 33), and Regano EX (0 vs. 0.1% Regano EX containing 5% Origanum oil). The 2 additional treatments were subtherapeutic (55 ppm) and therapeutic (441 ppm) levels of CTC. Following the treatment period, a common diet without antimicrobial was fed until d 47. All diets contained 16.5 ppm Cu and 110 ppm Zn from the trace mineral premix. In exp. 1, no ZnO × CTC interactions were observed. Feeding ZnO increased (P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and BW during the treatment period and increased (P < 0.05) ADG and ADFI overall (d 5 to 47). Pigs fed CTC had increased (linear, P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and BW during the treatment period and had marginally significant increases (linear, P < 0.10) in overall ADG and ADFI, but overall G:F tended (quadratic, P = 0.070) to increase then decrease as CTC increased. During the treatment period in exp. 2, EO did not affect ADG or ADFI, whereas pharmacological levels of Cu, Zn, and CTC increased (P < 0.05) ADG with coinciding increases (P = 0.055, 0.006, and linear 0.079, respectively) in ADFI. Copper, Zn, and CTC did not affect G:F. EO decreased (P = 0.009) G:F. Diet treatments had minimal carryover effects on subsequent nursery pig growth performance. Overall from d 5 to 47, Cu increased (P = 0.018) ADG, Zn increased (P < 0.05) ADG and ADFI, and EO tended to decrease (P = 0.086) G:F. In conclusion, increased dietary Cu, Zn, or CTC improved weanling pig performance while EO elicited no growth benefits. The benefits of added Zn from ZnO and CTC were additive and could be included together in diets to maximize growth performance of weaned pigs.

Interactive effects of supplemental Zn sulfate and ractopamine hydrochloride on growth performance, carcass traits, and plasma urea nitrogen in feedlot heifers.

Interactive effects of supplemental Zn and ractopamine hydrochloride (RH) were evaluated using 156 crossbred heifers (initial BW = 527 kg ± 6.61; gross BW × 0.96) to determine the impact on feedlot performance, plasma urea nitrogen (PUN), and carcass characteristics. The study was conducted as a randomized complete block design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Factors consisted of 1) 30 or 100 mg supplemental Zn/kg diet DM (30Zn or 100Zn) as Zn sulfate and 2) 0 or 200 mg RH/heifer daily. Heifers were blocked by BW and assigned randomly within block to treatments for a 43-d trial. Heifers were housed in partially covered feeding pens (3 heifers/pen; 13 pens/treatment) and provided ad libitum access to feed. Ractopamine hydrochloride was fed for 42 d and removed from the diet until cattle were harvested on d 43. Zinc treatments were fed until harvest. Plasma samples were collected on d 0 and 36 to assess changes in plasma Zn and PUN. On d 43, heifers were weighed, then transported to a commercial abattoir where HCW and incidence of liver abscesses were recorded. Carcass data were collected after 32 h of refrigeration. No Zn × RH interactions were observed for plasma Zn or PUN ( ≥ 0.58); however, there was a tendency for a RH × day interaction for PUN ( = 0.08). Supplementing 100Zn resulted in increased plasma Zn ( = 0.02) compared to 30Zn. No RH × Zn interactions were observed for feedlot performance ( ≥ 0.24). Final BW and ADG increased with RH supplementation ( ≤ 0.02), but DMI was not affected ( = 0.63); thus, feed efficiency improved ( < 0.01) when heifers were fed RH. Supplementing 100Zn tended to reduce ADG ( = 0.07) but did not affect other measures of feedlot performance ( ≥ 0.12). Zinc × RH interactions were observed for LM area and yield grade ( ≤ 0.01); LM area decreased and yield grade increased when heifers were supplemented 100Zn with no RH compared to other treatments. A tendency for a Zn × RH interaction was observed for dressed yield ( = 0.08), but no other interactions or effects of Zn were detected for carcass traits ( ≥ 0.11). Supplementing RH increased HCW ( = 0.03) but did not affect other carcass traits ( ≥ 0.13). In conclusion, supplemental Zn had little impact on feedlot performance or PUN concentration but may alter muscle and fat deposition when fed in conjunction with RH.

Transferability of antimicrobial resistance from multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from cattle in the USA to E. coli and Salmonella Newport recipients.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate conjugative transfer of cephalosporin resistance among 100 strains of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (MDRE) to Salmonella enterica serotype Newport and E. coli DH5α recipients. METHODS: Phenotypic and genotypic profiles were determined for MDRE as well as for Salmonella Newport (trSN) and E. coli DH5α (trDH) transconjugants. RESULTS: Of 95 MDRE donor isolates, 26 (27%) and 27 (28%) transferred resistance to trSN and trDH recipients, respectively. A total of 27 MDRE (27%) were confirmed as extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producers based on the double-disk synergy assay and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). WGS was performed on 25 of the ESBL-producing isolates, showing that 2 isolates carried blaCTX-M-6, 22 possessed blaCTX-M-32 and 1 was negative for blaCTX-M genes. Fourteen of the ESBLs sequenced were qnrB19. Differential transfer of IncA/C and IncN from MDRE32 was observed between trSN32 and trDH32. IncN-positive trDH32 displayed an ESBL phenotype, whereas IncA/C-positive trSN32 displayed an AmpC phenotype. The rate of ESBL transfer to trSN and trDH recipients was 11% and 96%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-seven MDRE were phenotypically identified as ESBL-producers. WGS of 25 MDRE revealed that 2 and 22 isolates carried blaCTX-M-6 and blaCTX-M-32, respectively. One multidrug-resistant isolate exhibited conversion from an AmpC phenotype to an ESBL phenotype with the transfer of only the IncN plasmid. The rate of resistance transfer to Salmonella or E. coli recipients was nearly identical. However, the ESBL phenotype was transferred with significantly greater prevalence to E. coli compared with Salmonella Newport (96% and 11%, respectively).

Identification of a Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance Gene in Salmonella Isolates from Texas Dairy Farm Environmental Samples.

A recent increase in plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) has been detected among Salmonella isolated from humans in the United States, and it is necessary to determine the sources of human infection. We had previously isolated Salmonella from dairy farm environmental samples collected in Texas, and isolates were tested for anti-microbial susceptibility. Two isolates, serotyped as Salmonella Muenster, showed the discordant pattern of nalidixic acid susceptibility and intermediate susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. For this project, whole-genome sequencing of both isolates was performed to detect genes associated with quinolone resistance. The plasmid-mediated qnrB19 gene and IncR plasmid type were identified in both isolates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of PMQR in Salmonella isolated from food animals or agricultural environments in the United States.

Interaction between supplemental zinc oxide and zilpaterol hydrochloride on growth performance, carcass traits, and blood metabolites in feedlot steers.

Interactive effects of supplemental Zn and zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) were evaluated in feedlot steers ( = 40; 652 kg ± 14 initial BW) to determine their impact on feedlot performance, blood constituents, and carcass traits. The study was conducted as a randomized complete block design with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement. Steers were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to treatments. Factors consisted of supplemental Zn (60 or 300 mg/kg diet DM) and ZH (0 or 8.33 mg/kg) in the diets. For diets supplemented with 300 mg Zn/kg DM, 60 mg Zn/kg was supplemented as zinc sulfate and 240 mg Zn/kg was supplemented as zinc oxide, and the diet was fed for 24 d. Zilpaterol hydrochloride was fed for 21 d followed by a 3-d withdrawal. Cattle were housed in partially covered individual feeding pens equipped with automatic waterers and fence-line feed bunks and were fed once daily for ad libitum intake. Plasma samples were collected on d 0 and 21 to assess changes in Zn, plasma urea nitrogen (PUN), glucose, and lactate concentrations, and serum samples were collected on d 21 to assess IGF-1 concentration. On d 25, cattle were weighed and transported 450 km to a commercial abattoir for harvest; HCW and incidence of liver abscesses were recorded. Carcass data were collected after 36 h of refrigeration. Data were analyzed as a mixed model with Zn, ZH, and Zn × ZH as fixed effects; block as a random effect; and steer as the experimental unit. No interaction or effects of Zn or ZH were observed for IGF-1 concentration, plasma glucose, or lactate concentrations ( ≥ 0.25). No interaction between Zn and ZH was observed for PUN concentration, but PUN decreased with ZH ( < 0.01). There were no effects of ZH or Zn on ADG, DMI, final BW, feed efficiency, HCW, back fat, KPH, quality grade, or incidence of liver abscesses ( > 0.05). Zinc supplementation tended ( = 0.08) to improve the proportion of carcasses grading USDA Choice. Feeding ZH decreased yield grade ( = 0.05) and tended to increase LM area ( = 0.07). In conclusion, increasing dietary concentrations of Zn does not impact response to ZH, but feeding ZH altered circulating concentrations of PUN.

Effects of Menthol Supplementation in Feedlot Cattle Diets on the Fecal Prevalence of Antimicrobial-Resistant Escherichia coli.

The pool of antimicrobial resistance determinants in the environment and in the gut flora of cattle is a serious public health concern. In addition to being a source of human exposure, these bacteria can transfer antibiotic resistance determinants to pathogenic bacteria and endanger the future of antimicrobial therapy. The occurrence of antimicrobial resistance genes on mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids, facilitates spread of resistance. Recent work has shown in vitro anti-plasmid activity of menthol, a plant-based compound with the potential to be used as a feed additive to beneficially alter ruminal fermentation. The present study aimed to determine if menthol supplementation in diets of feedlot cattle decreases the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in feces. Menthol was included in diets of steers at 0.3% of diet dry matter. Fecal samples were collected weekly for 4 weeks and analyzed for total coliforms counts, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and the prevalence of tet genes in E. coli isolates. Results revealed no effect of menthol supplementation on total coliforms counts or prevalence of E. coli resistant to amoxicillin, ampicillin, azithromycin, cefoxitin, ceftiofur, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, and sulfamethoxazole; however, 30 days of menthol addition to steer diets increased the prevalence of tetracycline-resistant E. coli (P < 0.02). Although the mechanism by which menthol exerts its effects remains unclear, results of our study suggest that menthol may have an impact on antimicrobial resistance in gut bacteria.

Effects of dietary copper, zinc, and ractopamine hydrochloride on finishing pig growth performance, carcass characteristics, and antimicrobial susceptibility of enteric bacteria.

A total of 480 pigs (PIC 327 × 1050; initially 48.7 ± 2.3 kg) were used to determine the interactive effects of supplemental Cu, Zn, and ractopamine HCl (RAC) on finishing pig growth performance, carcass characteristics, and antimicrobial susceptibility of enteric bacteria. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with the main effects of added Cu (CuSO; 0 vs. 125 mg/kg Cu), Zn (ZnO; 0 vs. 150 mg/kg Zn), and RAC (0 vs. 10 mg/kg during the last 28 d prior to marketing). All diets contained 11 mg/kg Cu and 73 mg/kg Zn from the trace mineral premix. Pens of pigs were balanced and blocked on initial BW and then randomly allotted to 1 of the 4 mineral treatment diets. At 28 d prior to marketing, pens within each block and mineral treatment were randomly assigned to receive either 0 or 10 mg/kg RAC in addition to the mineral treatment. Adding either Cu or Zn alone did not improve ADG or ADFI yet resulted in numerical improvements in overall G:F and caloric efficiencies, but improvements were not additive (Cu × Zn, = 0.057, = 0.068, and = 0.064 for G:F and caloric efficiency on a ME and NE basis, respectively). Ractopamine improved ( < 0.001) overall ADG, G:F, and caloric efficiency, thereby increasing final BW by 3% with no change in ADFI. Ractopamine also increased ( < 0.001) HCW, percentage carcass yield, G:F, loin depth, and percent fat-free lean and decreased ( = 0.014) backfat. Adding Zn or Cu alone to diets containing RAC numerically improved percent yield and HCW G:F, but this effect was absent when the Cu or Zn was added to the control diet or when Cu and Zn were fed in combination in RAC diets (Cu × Zn × RAC, = 0.011 and = 0.018 for yield and HCW G:F, respectively). Fecal samples were collected on d 0 and at the conclusion of the finishing period (d 90) for bacterial isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility determinations according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute minimal inhibitory concentrations breakpoints. spp. and isolates displayed varying levels of resistance to certain antibiotics prior to initiation of treatments on d 0. Resistance to most antibiotics decreased ( < 0.05) over time or was stable for those that had a low baseline percentage of resistance. Neither Zn nor RAC adversely affected antimicrobial resistance. However, extended feeding of 125 mg/kg Cu throughout the finishing period seems to decrease enterococcal susceptability to tetracycline, tylosin, and quinupristin/dalfopristin.

Scoping review to identify potential non-antimicrobial interventions to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in commensal enteric bacteria in North American cattle production systems.

A scoping review was conducted to identify modifiable non-antimicrobial factors to reduce the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in cattle populations. Searches were developed to retrieve peer-reviewed published studies in animal, human and in vitro microbial populations. Citations were retained when modifiable non-antimicrobial factors or interventions potentially associated with antimicrobial resistance were described. Studies described resistance in five bacterial genera, species or types, and 40 antimicrobials. Modifiable non-antimicrobial factors or interventions ranged widely in type, and the depth of evidence in animal populations was shallow. Specific associations between a factor or intervention with antimicrobial resistance in a population (e.g. associations between organic systems and tetracycline susceptibility in E. coli from cattle) were reported in a maximum of three studies. The identified non-antimicrobial factors or interventions were classified into 16 themes. Most reported associations between the non-antimicrobial modifiable factors or interventions and antimicrobial resistance were not statistically significant (P > 0·05 and a confidence interval including 1), but when significant, the results were not consistent in direction (increase or decrease in antimicrobial resistance) or magnitude. Research is needed to better understand the impacts of promising modifiable factors or interventions on the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance before any recommendations can be offered or adopted.

Antimicrobials in animal agriculture: parables and policy.

In addition to the scientific, economic, regulatory and other policy factors that impact on antimicrobial decision-making in different jurisdictions around the world, there exist ethical, social and cultural bases for the contemporary use of these products in animal agriculture. Thus, the use of the word 'parable' to describe the contemporary moral stories that help to guide ethical antimicrobial use practices and broader policy decisions in animal agriculture is appropriate. Several of these stories reflect difficult decisions that arise from conflicting moral imperatives (i.e. both towards animal welfare and towards human health). Understanding the factors that combine to define the past and present paradigms of antimicrobial usage is crucial to mapping a path forward. There exist barriers, as well as opportunities, for advancing scenarios for reducing antimicrobial usage under a variety of voluntary, regulatory and legal policy frameworks. Any new approaches will ideally be structured to extend the use of present-day antimicrobials into the future, to provide novel alternatives for regulating any newly introduced antimicrobial products so as to maximize their useful life span and to ensure the optimal use of these products in animal agriculture to protect not only the health of animals and the interests of animal health/agriculture stakeholders, but also the human health and the interests of the public at large. A full range of policy approaches, which span the realm from strictly enforced regulations and laws to voluntary guidelines and compliance, should be explored with respect to their risks and benefits in a variety of worldwide settings and in full consideration of a range of stakeholder values.

Effects of in-feed copper and tylosin supplementations on copper and antimicrobial resistance in faecal enterococci of feedlot cattle.

AIMS: The objective was to investigate whether in-feed supplementation of copper, at elevated level, co-selects for macrolide resistance in faecal enterococci. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study was conducted in cattle (n = 80) with a 2 × 2 factorial design of copper (10 or 100 mg kg(-1) of feed) and tylosin (0 or 10 mg kg(-1) of feed). Thirty-seven isolates (4·6%; 37/800) of faecal enterococci were positive for the tcrB and all were Enterococcus faecium. The prevalence was higher among cattle fed diets with copper and tylosin (8·5%) compared to control (2·0%), copper (4·5%) and tylosin (3·5%) alone. All tcrB-positive isolates were positive for erm(B) and tet(M) genes. Median copper minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for tcrB-positive and tcrB-negative enterococci were 20 and 4 mmol l(-1) , respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Feeding of elevated dietary copper and tylosin alone or in combination resulted in an increased prevalence of tcrB and erm(B)-mediated copper and tylosin-resistant faecal enterococci in feedlot cattle. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: In-feed supplementation of elevated dietary copper has the potential to co-select for macrolide resistance. Further studies are warranted to investigate the factors involved in maintenance and dissemination of the resistance determinants and their co-selection mechanism in relation to feed-grade antimicrobials' usage in feedlot cattle.

Effects of chlortetracycline and copper supplementation on antimicrobial resistance of fecal Escherichia coli from weaned pigs.

Feed-grade chlortetracycline (CTC) and copper are both widely utilized in U.S. pig production. Cluster randomized experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of CTC and copper supplementation in weaned pigs on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among fecal Escherichia coli. Four treatment groups: control, copper, CTC, or copper plus CTC were randomly allocated to 32 pens with five pigs per pen. Fecal samples were collected weekly from three pigs per pen for six weeks. Two E. coli isolates per fecal sample were tested for phenotypic and genotypic resistance against antibiotics and copper. Data were analyzed with multilevel mixed effects logistic regression, multivariate probit analysis and discrete time survival analysis. CTC-supplementation was significantly (99% [95% CI=98-100%]) associated with increased tetracycline resistance compared to the control group (95% [95% CI=94-97%]). Copper supplementation was associated with decreased resistance to most of the antibiotics tested, including cephalosporins, over the treatment period. Overall, 91% of the E. coli isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR) (resistant to ≥3 antimicrobial classes). tetA and blaCMY-2 genes were positively associated (P<0.05) with MDR categorization, while tetB and pcoD were negatively associated with MDR. tetA and blaCMY-2 were positively associated with each other and in turn, these were negatively associated with both tetB and pcoD genes; which were also positively associated with one another. Copper minimum inhibitory concentration was not affected by copper supplementation or by pcoD gene carriage. CTC supplementation was significantly associated with increased susceptibilities of E. coli to copper (HR=7 [95% CI=2.5-19.5]) during treatment period. In conclusion, E. coli isolates from the nursery pigs exhibited high levels of antibiotic resistance, with diverse multi-resistant phenotypic profiles. The roles of copper supplementation in pig production, and pco-mediated copper resistance among E. coli in particular, need to be further explored since a strong negative association of pco with both tetA and blaCMY-2 points to opportunities for selecting a more innocuous resistance profile.

Role of house flies in the ecology of Enterococcus faecalis from wastewater treatment facilities.

Enterococci are important nosocomial pathogens, with Enterococcus faecalis most commonly responsible for human infections. In this study, we used several measures to test the hypothesis that house flies, Musca domestica (L.), acquire and disseminate antibiotic-resistant and potentially virulent E. faecalis from wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) to the surrounding urban environment. House flies and sludge from four WWTF (1-4) as well as house flies from three urban sites close to WWTF-1 were collected and cultured for enterococci. Enterococci were identified, quantified, screened for antibiotic resistance and virulence traits, and assessed for clonality. Of the 11 antibiotics tested, E. faecalis was most commonly resistant to tetracycline, doxycycline, streptomycin, gentamicin, and erythromycin, and these traits were intra-species horizontally transferrable by in vitro conjugation. Profiles of E. faecalis (prevalence, antibiotic resistance, and virulence traits) from each of WWTF sludge and associated house flies were similar, indicating that flies successfully acquired these bacteria from this substrate. The greatest number of E. faecalis with antibiotic resistance and virulence factors (i.e., gelatinase, cytolysin, enterococcus surface protein, and aggregation substance) originated from WWTF-1 that processed meat waste from a nearby commercial meat-processing plant, suggesting an agricultural rather than human clinical source of these isolates. E. faecalis from house flies collected from three sites 0.7-1.5 km away from WWTF-1 were also similar in their antibiotic resistance profiles; however, antibiotic resistance was significantly less frequent. Clonal diversity assessment using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed the same clones of E. faecalis from sludge and house flies from WWTF-1 but not from the three urban sites close to WWTF-1. This study demonstrates that house flies acquire antibiotic-resistant enterococci from WWTF and potentially disseminate them to the surrounding environment.

Occurrence of the transferable copper resistance gene tcrB among fecal enterococci of U.S. feedlot cattle fed copper-supplemented diets.

Copper, an essential micronutrient, is supplemented in the diet at elevated levels to reduce morbidity and mortality and to promote growth in feedlot cattle. Gut bacteria exposed to copper can acquire resistance, which among enterococci is conferred by a transferable copper resistance gene (tcrB) borne on a plasmid. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether the feeding of copper at levels sufficient to promote growth increases the prevalence of the tcrB gene among the fecal enterococci of feedlot cattle. The study was performed with 261 crossbred yearling heifers housed in 24 pens, with pens assigned randomly to a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of dietary copper and a commercial linseed meal-based energy protein supplement. A total of 22 isolates, each identified as Enterococcus faecium, were positive for tcrB with an overall prevalence of 3.8% (22/576). The prevalence was higher among the cattle fed diets supplemented with copper (6.9%) compared to normal copper levels (0.7%). The tcrB-positive isolates always contained both erm(B) and tet(M) genes. Median copper MICs for tcrB-positive and tcrB-negative enterococci were 22 and 4 mM, respectively. The transferability of the tcrB gene was demonstrated via a filter-mating assay. Multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis revealed a genetically diverse population of enterococci. The finding of a strong association between the copper resistance gene and other antibiotic (tetracycline and tylosin) resistance determinants is significant because enterococci remain potential pathogens and have the propensity to transfer resistance genes to other bacteria in the gut.

A multivariable assessment quantifying effects of cohort-level factors associated with combined mortality and culling risk in cohorts of U.S. commercial feedlot cattle.

Economic losses due to cattle mortality and culling have a substantial impact on the feedlot industry. Since criteria for culling may vary and may affect measures of cumulative mortality within cattle cohorts, it is important to assess both mortality and culling when evaluating cattle losses over time and among feedlots. To date, there are no published multivariable assessments of factors associated with combined mortality and culling risk. Our objective was to evaluate combined mortality and culling losses in feedlot cattle cohorts and quantify effects of commonly measured cohort-level risk factors (weight at feedlot arrival, gender, and month of feedlot arrival) using data routinely collected by commercial feedlots. We used retrospective data representing 8,904,965 animals in 54,416 cohorts from 16 U.S. feedlots from 2000 to 2007. The sum of mortality and culling counts for each cohort (given the number of cattle at risk) was used to generate the outcome of interest, the cumulative incidence of combined mortality and culling. Associations between this outcome variable and cohort-level risk factors were evaluated using a mixed effects multivariable negative binomial regression model with random effects for feedlot, year, month and week of arrival. Mean arrival weight of the cohort, gender, and arrival month and a three-way interaction (and corresponding two-way interactions) among arrival weight, gender and month were significantly (P<0.05) associated with the outcome. Results showed that as the mean arrival weight of the cohort increased, mortality and culling risk decreased, but effects of arrival weight were modified both by the gender of the cohort and the month of feedlot arrival. There was a seasonal pattern in combined mortality and culling risk for light and middle-weight male and female cohorts, with a significantly (P<0.05) higher risk for cattle arriving at the feedlot in spring and summer (March-September) than in cattle arriving during fall, and winter months (November-February). Our results quantified effects of covariate patterns that have been heretofore difficult to fully evaluate in smaller scale studies; in addition, they illustrated the importance of utilizing multivariable approaches when quantifying risk factors in heterogeneous feedlot populations. Estimated effects from our model could be useful for managing financial risks associated with adverse health events based on data that are routinely available.