Extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae in bulk tank milk from German dairy farms

Although the dairy farm environment is a known source of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria, surveillance data on ESBL in the milk production chain are still scarce. This study aimed at estimating the dimensions of the problem for public health and animal welfare by surveying ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in raw bulk tank milk in Germany. Samples from 866 dairy farms, comprising about 1% of the total number of dairy farms in Germany, were first screened for presence of cefotaxime-resistant bacteria by selective enrichment. Suspect colonies were identified phenotypically and further characterized by biochemical and molecular methods, including analysis of resistance genes and clonal diversity in ESBL-producing isolates. Bulk tank milk from 82 (9.5%) farms yielded Enterobacteriaceae with confirmed ESBL-production. The most frequent ESBL-producing species was Escherichia coli (75.6%), followed by Citrobacter spp. (9.6%), Enterobacter cloacae (6.1%), and Klebsiella oxytoca (3.7%), a few isolates belonged to other species within the genera Hafnia, Raoutella and Serratia. The majority of isolates (95.1%) harbored the β-lactamase blaCTX-M gene, which has gained increased importance among ESBL-producing strains worldwide; the CTX-M group 1 was found to be the dominating (88.4%) phylogenetic group. All ESBL-positive Escherichia coli isolates were clonally heterogeneous, as determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The results from this survey demonstrate that ESBL-producing bacteria are distributed widely in the dairy farm environment in Germany. Therefore, raw milk is a potential source of exposure for the consumer, which is of increasing importance considering the trend of farmer-to-consumer direct marketing. Furthermore, dairy farm staff have an increased likelihood of exposure to ESBL-producing bacteria. Finally, ESBL-producing bacteria may also be transferred via waste milk to calves, thus further spreading antibiotic resistance in the farm environment.

Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Bulk Tank Milk from Dairy Farms in Indonesia

Bulk tank milk from 80 dairy farms located in the West Java Region of Indonesia was analyzed for the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Isolates from seven dairy farms were ESBL positive, and all were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae. The isolates showed ESBL-characteristic antibiotic resistance patterns. Further analysis revealed that all K. pneumoniae isolates harbored the blaSHV gene, and two isolates were additionally positive for the blaTEM-1 and blaCTX-M-15 genes. Isolates from different farms were clonally diverse according to macrorestriction analysis. The results indicate that the relatively high frequency of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae in bulk tank milk implies the risk that milk is both a source of local exposure and a vector contributing to the supraregional spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by trade.

[Immunostimulant action of polysaccharides (heteroglycans) from higher plants. Preliminary communication]

From the water or alcaline-water extracts of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench and -angustifolia DC., Eupatorium cannabinum L. and -perfoliatum L., Chamomilla recutita (L.) (Rauscher), Calendula officinalis L., Baptisia tinctoria (L.) R.B., Achyrocline satureoides DC., Arnica montana L., Sabal serrulata Roem et Schult. and Eleutherococcus senticosus Maxim. polysaccharide fractions with molecular weights in the range of 25 000 to 500 000 and higher have been isolated, which, according to the granulocytes- and carbon clearance tests, showed significant immunostimulating activities. The isolated compounds belong to the group of water-soluble, acidic heteroglycanes. The linkages in the different polysaccharides do not represent a uniform structure type.