Abstract
We investigated the detection rate of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains from the intestinal contents of broiler (broiler) and retail chicken meat (meat). Eighty-eight ESBL-producing E. coli strains were isolated from 65.1% of broiler samples (71/109) and 47 strains were isolated from 68.0% of meat samples (34/50). However, the detection rates of ESBL-producing E. coli strains from broiler differed significantly between farms. From the results of PCR analyses, 7, 58, 13, 3, and 7 E.coli strains harbored ESBL-producing genes belonging to CTX-M1, CTX-M2, CTX-M9, TEM, and SHV from broiler samples, respectively. Fourteen, 8, 15, 2, and 8 E. coli strains harbored ESBL-producing genes belonging to CTX-M1, CTX-M2, CTX-M9, TEM, and SHV from meat samples, respectively. The isolated strains from the same farm were observed to exhibit the same electrophoretic pattern by PFGE analysis. These findings suggest that ESBL-producing genes have been transmitted and spread among broilers in the same farm. Moreover, there may be a possibility that contamination of chicken meat occurred during the breeding and slaughter process.
