Characterization of ESBL producing mammary pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from mastitis affected cattle in India

Abstract

Bovine mastitis is a globally prevalent disease affecting dairy cattle. It impacts the quantity and quality of milk produced and can lead to the loss of production animal as a whole coliform bacteria are the most common pathogens that have been isolated frombovine mastitis. Escherichia coli have been identified in a greater number of bovine mastitis in comparison to other coliforms. Mammary pathogenic Escherichia coli (MPEC) strains have virulence attributes to resist the host innatedefenses and thrive in the mammary gland environment. Mammary pathogenic E. coli (MPEC) has been identified as a newly recognized pathotype responsible for instigating mastitis in dairy animals. MPEC have acquired specific virulence factors (VFs) that might help the bacteria toinvade the mammary gland, survive, and multiply in milk turning the mammary gland into an amenableopportunistic habitat for these bacteria. As a part of a larger study we have isolated various bacterial pathogens from mastitis affected cattle. We were able to identify four multi drug resistant E. coli among these bacterial pathogens which were also shown to be biofilm forming. This paper describes the characterization of these biofilm forming ESBL MPEC isolated from mastitis affected cattle in India.