A study on beta-lactam antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from canaries from Yazd, Iran

Cage birds like canaries can potentially harbor human pathogens and contribute to transmission and spread of drug resistant infectious agents to human. Considering many people's interests to keep canaries, present study was conducted in canaries from Yazd to investigate the beta-lactam antibiotics resistant Escherichia coli. 109 E. coli isolates from canary faeces in Yazd were evaluated to investigate the resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics by disc diffusion method. Resistance of isolates to Imipenem, Cefotaxime, Cefixime, Cefalexin, Amoxicillin, Penicillin G and Oxacillin was 0%, 5.5%, 44%, 95.4%, 95.4%, 100% and 100% respectively. Canaries harbored beta-lactam antibiotics resistant E. coli and could be an important component of drug-resistant infections transmission from cage birds to human, especially kids and can pose a potential risk to human health in the region. It is recommended to make pet birds owners and general public aware of potential dangers of cage birds keeping.