Molecular epidemiology, antibiogram profile and risk factor analysis of pathogenic Escherichia coli associated with pre-weaning diarrhoea in piglets from Haryana, India

Background: Piglet diarrhoea is a multifactorial disease with serious implications for the swine industry worldwide, including India. The Escherichia coli (E. coli) pathotypes, i.e., enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) are among the major bacterial agents attributed as causative agent for piglet diarrhoea, but studies related to genetic diversity, antibiogram profile and their correlation with risk factors of these pathogens are sparse. Material and methods: A total of 104 faecal swab samples were collected from 32 different piggery units of Haryana, India and confirmed as E. coli by standard microbiological methods. The identified E. coli were characterized as ETEC and/or STEC using PCR assays and were studied for their genetic diversity by phylogenetic analysis of the sequences. All the isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Further, the correlation of variables with presence or absence of ETEC and/or STEC was also investigated by using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Microbiological isolation led to identification of 208 E. coli isolates. A total of 17.3% (31/208) isolates were characterized as ETEC and 4.8% (10/208) isolates as STEC, whereas 2.4% (5/208) isolates exhibited both ETEC and STEC pathotype. Of the total studied piggery units (n = 32), ETEC were isolated from fourteen and both ETEC and STEC from eight farms. The phylogenetic analysis of Stx2 gene revealed 100% homology with Stx2eA variant from Germany, while analysis of STII gene revealed a distinct nucleotide and amino acid substitution when compared with standard strains. The antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed maximum resistance to moxifloxacin (71.9%) followed by tetracycline (58.1%) and amoxicillin with a total of 41.8% (87/208) E. coli isolates designated as multi-drug resistant (MDR). The multiple antibiotic resistance index varied from 0.05 to 0.75. The statistical analysis suggested three factors viz., number of farm worker(s), frequency of using disinfectant for floor cleaning and use of antibiotic in feed as risk factors significantly associated (p < 0.05) with ETEC associated diarrhoea at piggeries under study. Conclusion: Current study warrants a need for systematic studies on the ETEC/STEC associated diarrhea and antibiotic resistance among these isolates to understand the mechanisms of origin and dissemination of drug resistant pathogens and to design suitable prevention and control measures to curb emergence of antibiotic resistance in the farm settings

Attitude, Opinions, and Working Preferences Survey among Pet Practitioners Relating to Antimicrobials in India

The indiscriminate usage and overuse of antimicrobials in pets or companion animals are underlying causes of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Despite the multi-faceted global challenge presented by antimicrobial resistance, very few studies have appraised pet practitioners’ factors, such as written policy on antimicrobials, dose rate prescribed, use of critically important antimicrobials, and antimicrobial prescription in clean surgical procedures, which can contribute to AMR. In the present study, an online cross-sectional survey among randomly selected pet practitioners (n = 104) of various Indian provinces and union territories was conducted using a questionnaire comprising 33 closed-ended questions on different parameters, viz., the dosage regimen and level of compliance towards guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), other relevant veterinary associations, and their opinion while prescribing antimicrobials. Almost every practitioner of the 104 respondents had revealed the difficulties with owner compliance; i.e., incomplete course of the antibiotics, inappropriate follow-ups, and improper care of the sick animals. The majority of practitioners (95%) reported self-prescription of antimicrobials by the owner before presenting the pet(s) to the veterinary clinic, whereas more than half of the respondents (64%) revealed unavailability of antibiogram facilities. Furthermore, a large number (76%) of practitioners stated empirical treatment based on their experience as the main criteria for antimicrobial choice in the absence of timely results from the laboratory. Although non-necessitated use of antimicrobials in clean surgical procedures has been claimed, surprisingly, the majority of pet practitioners (97%) reported their use to reduce the post-operative complications. The use of the highest priority, critically important antimicrobials (HPCIA) listed by the WHO for humans, particularly quinolones and third-generation cephalosporin, also has been reported for different infections. The treatment durations were nearly as per the recommended guidelines issued by the Danish Small Animal Veterinary Association (DSAVA) for different ailments. Analysis using chi-square tests exhibited a significant correlation between less experienced veterinarians (less than 5 years) and prescription of antimicrobials restricted for critically important infections in human medicine. However, there seems to be no association between the experience of the practitioner and the further studied parameters, namely, antimicrobial regimen prescription, weighing the animals before prescription, dose rate calculation, and antimicrobial selection and use after clean surgical operations. The findings suggest periodic awareness campaigns among practitioners regarding the implementation of the official guidelines, the need for systematic surveillance of AMR, awareness among pet owners about antimicrobial resistance, and the importance of rational use of antimicrobials on their pets

Table_1_Identification and assessment of stress and associated stressors among veterinary students in India using a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.DOCX

BackgroundVeterinary education, is a rigorous professional training program, which exposes students to significant academic and non-academic pressures. The identification of stressors and stress levels among veterinary students mighty help the designing and implementation of coping strategies to protect the students' mental health.MethodsA 44-item based cross-sectional questionnaire survey was prepared and disseminated among veterinary students in India to identify the stressors responsible, measure the amount of stress, and relate stress to characteristics like gender, degree year, and family income. A total of n = 611 veterinary students across 14 states including 27 colleges/universities participated in the study. The collected data was evaluated for sampling adequacy, construct validity, and reliability using a set of statistical tests.ResultsThe analysis revealed high sampling adequacy with a KMO value of 0.957 and a highly significant anti-image correlation (p ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first Indian study to identify stressors, quantify associated stress and predict major attributes to be targeted in future studies for veterinary students.</p