Antibiotic resistance of bacterial pathogens circulating on a dairy farm in Sverdlovsk Oblast

Introduction. Currently, there is a need to develop a unified strategy for rational antibiotic therapy, including monitoring the sensitivity of microorganisms, medicinal product rotation, and the use of alternative treatment methods to reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates.

Objective. Identification of bacterial pathogens that cause mastitis in cows, with an assessment of their resistance to antimicrobial medicinal products used at  a livestock farm located in Sverdlovsk Oblast, for subsequent rotation of antimicrobial agents and the development of individual recommendations.

Materials and methods. The research was conducted in 2022–2024 on the basis of an agricultural farm located in Sverdlovsk Oblast. The identification of grown colonies was performed using MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry, susceptibility to antimicrobial medicinal products was determined by the disk diffusion method, and antibiotic resistance genes were detected by qPCR.

Results. In 2022, test results showed the presence of Streptococcus spp. (70.6%), Escherichia coli (52.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (35.3%), and Streptococcus agalactiae (23.5%) in breast secretions. Isolates of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were resistant to several groups of antimicrobial medicinal products: aminoglycosides, penicillins, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin), and vancomycin. Resistance genes were identified: blaDHA, blaCTX-M, and blaOXA-10 in Escherichia coli (5%); ErmB in the group of bacteria Staphylococcus and Streptococcus (4%); MecA in Staphylococcus aureus (isolated cases). Upon repeated testing in 2023, it was observed that all isolated bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp., Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus faecalis/faecium) were sensitive to all antimicrobial medicinal products. The blaVIM and blaNDM genes were detected in one Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate. The test results obtained in 2024 showed the predominance of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp. (100%), Klebsiella pneumonia (30%), Enterobacter spp. (20%), Enterococcus faecalis/faecium (10%) in breast secretion samples. Eight different antimicrobial resistance genes were identified, along with the detection of carbapenem-resistant bacteria and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (VanB gene). Based on laboratory tests conducted in 2022–2024 at a livestock farm in Sverdlovsk Oblast, measures to control antimicrobial resistance in bovine mastitis pathogens have been developed and tested.

Conclusion. Replacement of outdated treatment regimens (tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins of the II generation) with cephalosporins of the I/III/IV generations and fluoroquinolones temporarily reduced resistance. However, reverting to the previous protocols in 2024 caused a sharp increase in multidrug resistance. Therefore, recommendations have been provided. These include continuous monitoring of pathogen resistance, strict adherence to antibiotic rotation schedules, long-term application of the revised treatment protocols, and the implementation of additional molecular genetic methods to detect bacterial resistance genes. These measures are aimed at controlling the situation at the livestock farm.

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