Occurrence, Molecular Characterization and Antimicrobial Assay of Escherichia coli Isolates from Milk and Milk Products Singh R.V.1*, Soni Rama2, Bhavana Gupta3, Sujata Meravi4, Pooja Singh4, Brejesh Singh5, Singh A.P.6, Kumar Jadav Kajal7 1Professor, Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, NDVSU, Jabalpur-482001, Madhya Pradesh, India 2Junior Research Fellow, Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, NDVSU, Jabalpur-482001, Madhya Pradesh, India 3Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, NDVSU, Jabalpur-482001, Madhya Pradesh, India 4MVSc Scholar; Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, NDVSU, Jabalpur-482001, Madhya Pradesh, India 5Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, NDVSU, Jabalpur-482001, Madhya Pradesh, India 6Professor, Animal Biotechnology Centre, NDVSU, Jabalpur-482001, Madhya Pradesh, India 7Assistant Professor, Animal Biotechnology Centre, NDVSU, Jabalpur-482001, Madhya Pradesh, India *Corresponding author email id: rvsvet24oct@gmail.com
Online published on 9 March, 2022. Abstract The present study was conducted to examine the occurrence of E. coli in milk and milk products and their characterization. A total of 300 samples of milk and milk products were screened from different areas in Jabalpur. The bacteria were isolated and characterized biochemically, genotypically and on the basis of antimicrobial profile. Out of 300 samples of milk and milk products, 24.0% (n=72) were found positive for E. coli. The incidence of E. coli in milk and ice cream was 30.0% and 27.0%, respectively while none of the shrikhand samples showed E. coli presence. Molecular study revealed 70.8%, 11.1% and 20.8% uspA, stx1 and stx2 gene, respectively in the E. coli isolates. Results of antimicrobial susceptibility test of E. coli showed that isolates were sensitive to ofloxacin (100.0%), netilin (88.8%), ciprofloxacin (85.1%), norfloxacin (81.4%), ceftazidime (66.6%), streptomycin, chloramphenicol and tetracycline (62.5%), cefotaxime and nalidixic acid (55.5%), gentamicin (52.5%) and kanamycin (50.0%) but resistant to nitrofurantoin (66.6%), ampicillin (52.5%), amikacin (40.0%) and co-trimoxazole (37.5%). The presence of zoonotic E. coli along with multidrug strains in the milk and milk products may lead to food borne and systemic infections therefore; the sanitary quality should be maintained while handling food products Top Keywords E. coli, Milk samples, Occurrence, PCR, Antimicrobial susceptibility. Top |