ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1642902
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Escherichia coli Isolates from Domestic Pigeons in Hungary
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
- 2National Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
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This cross-sectional observational study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Escherichia coli isolates from domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica) in Hungary. A total of 134 non-redundant isolates were obtained from oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs collected across multiple geographic regions. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using the microdilution method, following Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined for a panel of antibiotics relevant to both veterinary and human medicine. Resistance patterns were analyzed using statistical tools including hierarchical clustering, network graph analysis, decision tree modeling, and Monte Carlo simulation. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains constituted 65.7% of the total, while extensive drug-resistant (XDR) and pan-drug-resistant (PDR) strains were found in 4.5% and 1.5% of isolates, respectively. The highest resistance rates were observed for neomycin (76.1%) and florfenicol (72.4%), whereas ceftriaxone and imipenem showed the lowest resistance rates (0.7% and 1.5%). Correlation analysis indicated notable associations between resistance to neomycin, doxycycline, and florfenicol, suggesting potential cross-resistance mechanisms. Monte Carlo simulation estimated an average MDR prevalence of 64.4% (95% CI: 50.0–77.6%). The high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among pigeon-derived E. coli isolates underscores the potential public health risks posed by avian reservoirs within the One Health context. These findings highlight the need for enhanced AMR surveillance and responsible antibiotic stewardship in veterinary settings. Further molecular investigations are warranted to elucidate the genetic basis of resistance in this population.
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, Escherichia coli, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), multidrug resistance, pigeons
Received: 07 Jun 2025; Accepted: 29 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kerek, Szabó and Jerzsele. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ádám Kerek, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
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