Characterization of expanded-spectrum cephalosporin resistance in E. coli isolates associated with bovine calf diarrhoeal disease.

Antibiotic resistance among Escherichia coli isolates from diarrhoeal disease in cattle was studied. Many of the isolates were multiply resistant to beta-lactams, including expanded-spectrum cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, sulphonamides, tetracycline and fluoroquinolones. In many of the isolates, IEF revealed a strong beta-lactamase band compatible with overexpression of the AmpC beta-lactamase, either alone or in addition to TEM-type enzymes. Several of the isolates also possessed genes encoding virulence factors associated with animal and human diarrhoeal diseases. These results suggest that the use of antibiotics in animals could lead to a reservoir of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could potentially infect humans.