Antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli between conventional and organic broiler flocks

Abstract

Summary: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern for human and animal health. Public awareness of these issues has contributed to increased demand for organic food. In poultry production, there are 3 major production types: no antibiotic ever, organic, and conventional. Organics have been considered safer alternatives that carry fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria and have less incidence of stable resistance. In this study, we examined the impact of organic and conventional production practices on the resistance patterns of the intestinal microbiome of chickens. Culture and sensitivity analysis performed on the cecal contents were compared between organic and conventionally grown chickens from identical parent stock collected in July and September. The results demonstrated that Escherichia coli isolated from conventionally produced chickens were significantly more resistant to neomycin (P-value <0.0002) and tetracycline (P-value = 0.0000) when compared with organically produced chickens in the July collection samples. However, there was no significant difference observed between groups in the September samples. These data demonstrate that AMR patterns of E. coli can differ significantly between organic and conventional chickens in the samples, but AMR pattern among E. coli isolates may not be consistent.

Keywords

• Escherichia coli
• antimicrobial resistance
• broiler chicken
• organic vs. conventional