Limited phylogenetic overlap between fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli isolated on dairy farms and those causing bacteriuria in humans living in the same geographical region

Background: Our primary aim was to test whether cattle-associated fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQ-R) Escherichia coli found on dairy farms are closely phylogenetically related to those causing bacteriuria in humans living in the same 50x50km geographical region suggestive of farm-human sharing. Another aim was to identify risk factors for the presence of FQ-R E. coli on dairy farms. Methods: FQ-R E. coli were isolated during 2017-18 from 42 dairy farms and from community urine samples. Forty-two cattle and 489 human urinary isolates were subjected to WGS, allowing phylogenetic comparisons. Risk factors were identified using a Bayesian regularization approach. Results: Of 489 FQ-R human isolates, 255 were also third-generation-cephalosporin-resistant, with strong genetic linkage between aac(6')Ib-cr and bla(CTX-M-15). We identified possible farm-human sharing for pairs of ST744 and ST162 isolates, but minimal core genome SNP distances were larger between farm-human pairs of ST744 and ST162 isolates (71 and 63 SNPs, respectively) than between pairs of isolates from different farms (7 and 3 SNPs, respectively). Total farm fluoroquinolone use showed a positive association with the odds of isolating FQ-R E. coli, while total dry cow therapy use showed a negative association. Conclusions: This work suggests that FQ-R E. coli found on dairy farms have a limited impact on community bacteriuria within the local human population. Reducing fluoroquinolone use may reduce the on-farm prevalence of FQ-R E. coli and this reduction may be greater when dry cow therapy is targeted to the ecology of resistant E. coli on the farm.

Automated summary

The study found limited impact of FQ-R E. coli from dairy farms on community bacteriuria in the local human population. Reducing fluoroquinolone use may lower the prevalence of FQ-R E. coli on farms, especially when dry cow therapy targets resistant E. coli ecology.