CHARACTERIZATION OF VIRULENCE GENES AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF LUNG PATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATES IN FOREST MUSK DEER (MOSCHUS BEREZOVSKII).

Abstract This study investigated genotypic diversity, 26 virulence genes, and antimicrobial susceptibility of lung pathogenic Escherichia coli (LPEC) isolated from forest musk deer. Associations between virulence factors (VFs) and phylogenetic group, between antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and phylogenetic group, and between AMR and VFs were subsequently assessed. The results showed 30 LPEC isolated were grouped into seven different clusters (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G). The detection rates of crl (90%), kpsMT II (76.67%), mat (76.67%), and ompA (80%) were over 75%. The most frequent types of resistance were to amoxicillin (100%), sulfafurazole (100%), ampicillin (96.67%), and tetracycline (96.67%), with 93.33% (n = 28) of isolates resistant to more than eight types of drugs. There were significant relationships between resistance to cefalotin and the presence of iucDa (P < 0.001), papC (P = 0.032), and kpsMT II (P = 0.028); between resistance to chloromycetin and the presence of irp2 (P = 0.004) and vat (P =...