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<p>This study has three objectives. First, the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of E. coli isolated from chickens raised in small flocks will be determined and isolates will be screened for beta-lactamases. As extended-spectrum-beta-lactamases, particularly the CTX-M enzymes, are increasingly common among E. coli isolated from human infections, determining the presence of these among chicken E. coli is important. Second, to determine if there are differences in the susceptibility patterns of E. coli isolated from chickens raised in small flocks compared to E. coli isolated from chickens raised in large commercial barns. This will be accomplished by comparing results of this study with CIPARS data generated from Ontario. Third, the DNA fingerprints of isolates from this study will be determined using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multi-locus sequence typing to identify major human epidemic clones (ex. ST131) in Ontario chickens and to determine if resistant.</p>
<p>The emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance is an imminent threat to our ability to fight infectious disease. In this study, E. coli from chickens raised in small flocks, slaughtered in provincially inspected abattoirs in Ontario will be characterized. Procedures established by the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) will be used to collect and process samples, and test the susceptibility of E. coli isolates. Screening for beta-lactamase genes, characterizing resistance to 3rd generation cephalosporins and DNA fingerprinting will further describe a subset of these isolates. This study will result in a more complete understanding of antimicrobial resistance in Ontario poultry by complementing the work done by CIPARS which only collects samples from federally inspected facilities. These data will be instrumental for public health risk assessments, detecting the emergence of resistance phenotypes and genotypes, and provide data to guide evidence based government and industry policy on antimicrobial usage.</p>