Spread of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli from a swine farm to the receiving river

The dissemination of drug-resistant bacteria into different environments has posed a grave threat to public health, but data on the spread of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) from animal farms to the receiving river are limited. Here, 57 ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from a pig farm and the receiving river were analyzed in terms of drug resistance, ESBL genes, and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC). The results showed that ESBL-producing E. coli from swine feces and downstream water of the pig farm outfall overlapped substantially in drug resistance and ESBL genes. Additionally, six ESBL-producing E. coli from the downstream water exhibited 100 % genetic similarity with strains from the swine feces. In conclusion, effluents of animal farms are a likely contributor to the presence of ESBL-producing E. coli in aquatic environments.