Identification of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli from Bovine Clinical Mastitis Using a Ceftiofur-Supplemented Medium

Escherichia coli causes a significant number of clinical mastitis cases in dairy cattle worldwide. The antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli is important for both human and animal health. Surveillance reports recorded that the efficacy of most antibiotics is substantially preserved but detection of E. coli from clinical mastitis cases producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and plasmid-encoded AmpC beta-lactamases has been reported. These resistance determinants have frequently been associated with multidrug resistance. The aim of this study was to determine if a MacConkey agar medium supplemented with 8 mg/L of ceftiofur (MC-CEF) could be a useful tool to identify cephalosporin-resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli among bovine mastitis isolates. During the period 2010–2011, 773 E. coli were isolated from bovine clinical mastitis milk samples collected in 80 dairy farms in Northern Italy. A total of 105 E. coli were selected and assigned either to group randomly selected E. coli (RSEC; n = 53), based on a random selection among the whole collection of 773 E. coli, or to group ceftiofur-resistant E. coli (CEFREC; n = 52). CEFREC isolates were identified by spreading the 773 E. coli isolates on MC-CEF. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was used to test the phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility to 16 antibiotics. The MIC results confirmed the ceftiofur resistance in 73.1% (38/52) of CEFREC isolates, whereas all RSEC isolates were susceptible to ceftiofur. The comparison of MIC values for each antibiotic tested between the two groups revealed significantly higher frequencies of resistance to antimicrobials other than ceftiofur in the CEFREC group. Resistance profiles highlighted a significantly higher frequency of MDR isolates among CEFREC (73.1%) than RSEC (17%) E. coli. The results showed that MC-CEF may be a useful selective medium to identify cephalosporin-resistant and MDR E. coli on dairy farms, without performing MIC on all the isolates.