Unravelling the Pathotype, Biofilm, Virulome and Resistome Profile of MultiDrug-Resistant Bacteria Isolated From...

The high mortality and morbidity resulting from diarrhoeal cases worldwide are associated with the increasing incidence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and represent a serious public health concern. Cattle are a major reservoir of AMR organisms, and faecal shedding may facilitate their transmission into the food chain. This study examined the pathotype, biofilm, virulome and resistome profiles of bacteria isolated from cattle faeces using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Asymptomatic cattle faecal samples (n = 269) were analysed, and three isolates identified as multidrug-resistant and biofilm-forming bacteria were sequenced. In this study, we successfully isolated bacteria from cattle faecal samples, and the isolates DEC_NWU, DVC_NWU and DSS_NWU were phenotypically confirmed as multidrug-resistant and strong biofilm formers. WGS analysis confirmed DEC_NWU, DVC_NWU and DSS_NWU to have genome lengths of 4,803,571, 4,499,945 and 5,374,783 bp, respectively. The Genome Taxonomy Database (GTDB) confirmed that DEC_NWU, DVC_NWU and DSS_NWU are E. coli, V. cholerae and S. enterica, respectively. Also, the genetic nexus of the isolates with other species confirmed that DEC_NWU, DVC_NWU and DSS_NWU were related to E. coli O104:H4 (88%), V. cholerae O1 (100%) and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (100%), respectively. In addition, PathogenFinder classified the isolates as human pathogens. Furthermore, virulence factors such as adherence, iron uptake, invasion, toxin and secretion system were detected in the genomes of DEC_NWU, DVC_NWU and DSS_NWU. The DSS_NWU genome had the highest number of virulence genes (65), compared to DVC_NWU (29) and DEC_NWU (40). Notably, DEC_NWU, DVC_NWU and DSS_NWU each harboured several resistance genes. This study established that asymptomatic cattle carry human pathogens, which harbour a repertoire of virulome and resistome.