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Genomic Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Profiles in Escherichia coli Linked to Sternal Bursitis in Chickens: A One Health Perspective

2025-07-16Journal article Open access
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datacite.subject.fosCiências Naturais
datacite.subject.sdg03:Saúde de Qualidade
dc.contributor.authorRibeiro, Jessica
dc.contributor.authorSilva, Vanessa
dc.contributor.authorFreitas, Catarina
dc.contributor.authorPinto, Pedro
dc.contributor.authorVieira-Pinto, Madalena
dc.contributor.authorBatista, Rita
dc.contributor.authorNunes, Alexandra
dc.contributor.authorGomes, João Paulo
dc.contributor.authorPereira, José Eduardo
dc.contributor.authorIgrejas, Gilberto
dc.contributor.authorBarros, Lillian
dc.contributor.authorHeleno, Sandrina A.
dc.contributor.authorReis, Filipa S.
dc.contributor.authorPoeta, Patrícia
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-16T14:07:47Z
dc.date.available2026-01-16T14:07:47Z
dc.date.issued2025-07-16
dc.description.abstractAbstract: Sternal bursitis is an underexplored lesion in poultry, often overlooked in microbiological diagnostics. In this study, we characterized 36 Escherichia coli isolates recovered from sternal bursitis in broiler chickens, combining phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PCRbased screening, and whole genome sequencing (WGS). The genetic analysis revealed a diverse population spanning 15 sequence types, including ST155, ST201, and ST58. Resistance to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin was common, and several isolates carried genes encoding β-lactamases, including blaTEM-1B. Chromosomal mutations associated with quinolone and fosfomycin resistance (e.g., gyrA p.S83L, glpT_E448K) were also identified. WGS revealed a high number of virulence-associated genes per isolate (58–96), notably those linked to adhesion (fim, ecp clusters), secretion systems (T6SS), and iron acquisition (ent, fep, fes), suggesting strong pathogenic potential. Many isolates harbored virulence markers typical of ExPEC/APEC, such as iss, ompT, and traT, even in the absence of multidrug resistance. Our findings suggest that E. coli from sternal bursitis may act as reservoirs of resistance and virulence traits relevant to animal and public health. This highlights the need for including such lesions in genomic surveillance programs and reinforces the importance of integrated One Health approaches.eng
dc.description.abstractSimple Summary: Sternal bursitis, also known as “breast blisters”, is a relatively neglected inflammatory condition in chickens that can impact animal welfare and food quality. Its bacterial causes are poorly studied. In this work, we investigated the role of Escherichia coli in sternal bursitis by analyzing 36 isolates collected from affected broiler chickens. We examined their resistance to antibiotics, genetic diversity, and the presence of genes that can promote disease. Our results showed that these E. coli strains were genetically diverse, and many carried resistance genes and virulence factors that help bacteria infect animals and survive treatments. Even strains that were not resistant to many antibiotics often possessed many virulence genes. Some of these bacteria also carried traits linked to strains that can cause disease in humans, raising public health concerns. These findings suggest that E. coli associated with sternal bursitis may act as hidden reservoirs of dangerous traits and should be included in surveillance programs. Our study underlines the importance of monitoring such infections as part of an integrated approach to animal and human health.por
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of projects UI/00772 and LA/P/0059/2020. It also received National financial support through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC), specifically via CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020) and the SusTEC Associated Laboratory (LA/P/0007/2020). Jessica Ribeiro acknowledges the funding received from FCT through her doctoral fellowship (grant number 2023.00592.BD). The authors also recognize the national support granted by FCT through employment contracts, namely the institutional contract awarded to S. A. Heleno and the individual scientific employment contract of F. S. Reis (reference 2021.03728.CEECIND).
dc.identifier.citationVet Sci. 2025 Jul 16;12(7):675. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12070675
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/vetsci12070675
dc.identifier.eissn2306‑7381
dc.identifier.pmid40711335
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/10704
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.relationAssociate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences
dc.relationMountain Research Center
dc.relationMountain Research Center
dc.relationCYPonins: Cypress saponins as a possible bio-based alternative to address high-mortality rate tumours
dc.relationAssociate Laboratory for Sustainability and Tecnology in Mountain Regions
dc.relation.hasversionhttps://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/7/675
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectEscherichia Coli
dc.subjectAntimicrobial Resistance
dc.subjectBroilers
dc.subjectGenetic Lineages
dc.subjectPoultry
dc.subjectSternal Bursitis
dc.subjectOne Health
dc.subjectAgentes Microbianos e Ambiente
dc.subjectSegurança Alimentar
dc.subjectResistência aos Antimicrobianos
dc.subjectInfecções Gastrointestinais
dc.titleGenomic Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Profiles in Escherichia coli Linked to Sternal Bursitis in Chickens: A One Health Perspectiveeng
dc.typejournal article
dcterms.referenceshttps://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/vetsci12070675/s1
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.awardTitleAssociate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences
oaire.awardTitleMountain Research Center
oaire.awardTitleMountain Research Center
oaire.awardTitleCYPonins: Cypress saponins as a possible bio-based alternative to address high-mortality rate tumours
oaire.awardTitleAssociate Laboratory for Sustainability and Tecnology in Mountain Regions
oaire.awardURIinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/LA%2FP%2F0059%2F2020/PT
oaire.awardURIinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F00690%2F2020/PT
oaire.awardURIinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDP%2F00690%2F2020/PT
oaire.awardURIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/10703
oaire.awardURIinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/LA%2FP%2F0007%2F2020/PT
oaire.citation.issue7
oaire.citation.startPage675
oaire.citation.titleVeterinary Sciences
oaire.citation.volume12
oaire.fundingStream6817 - DCRRNI ID
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oaire.fundingStreamCEEC IND4ed
oaire.fundingStream6817 - DCRRNI ID
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
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project.funder.identifierhttp://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871
project.funder.nameFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
project.funder.nameFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
project.funder.nameFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
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