Captive and free-living urban pigeons (Columba livia) from Brazil as carriers of multidrug-resistant pathogenic Escherichia coli

Thirty Escherichia coli isolates from captive and free-living pigeons in Brazil were characterised. Virulence associated genes identified in pigeons included those which occur relatively frequently in avian pathogenic E. colt (APEC) from commercial poultry worldwide. Eleven of 30 E. coli isolates from pigeons, belonging mainly to B1 and B2 phylogenetic groups, had high or intermediate pathogenicity for 1-day-old chicks. The frequency of multi-drug resistant (MDR) E. colt in captive pigeons was relatively high and included one isolate positive for the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) gene bla(CTX-M-8). Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed high heterogeneity among isolates. There is potential for pigeons to transmit antibiotic resistant pathogenic E. colt to other species through environmental contamination or direct contact. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.