Isolation and Antibiotic Resistance Evaluation of Yersinia enterocolitica from Raw Milk of Ruminants in Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran

2 Department of Nutrition and Animal Breeding, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran

10.22092/ari.2025.370448.3797

Abstract

There is a great importance of Yersinia enterocolitica (Y. enterocolitica) and increasing concerns about antibiotic resistance. Hence, objective of this study was to investigate the level of contamination of ruminants' raw milk with Y. enterocolitica and determine its antibiotic resistance pattern. A total of 200 raw milk samples (100 from cows and 100 from sheep) were collected over five months (July 2023 to December 2023) from bulk tank supply centers in the Sistan region, Iran. CIN agar was used accurately as a selective medium for Y. enterocolitica. The isolated colonies were transferred to Simon Citrate, Lysine Iron Agar, and Urea medium for final confirmation. Moreover, the susceptibility of the obtained isolates to ampicillin (AM), amikacin (AN), imipenem (IMP), nalidixic acid (NA), ciprofloxacin (CP), amoxiclav (AMC), gentamicin (GM), ceftriaxone (CRO), tetracycline (TE), and sulfamethoxazole (SXT) antibiotics was assessed. Of the 200 raw milk samples, 8 (4%) were contaminated with Yersinia (95% CI: 1.5%-7%). The highest contamination with Y. enterocolitica was associated with raw cow's milk, and the lowest contamination with Y. enterocolitica was associated with raw sheep's milk; however, these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The highest resistance for Y. enterocolitica in raw cow's milk was related to antibiotic AM, and antibiotic SXT had the highest sensitivity. Additionally, the highest resistance to Y. enterocolitica in raw sheep's milk was associated with AN, SXT, CRO, NA, GM, and AMC, but CP and TE exhibited the highest sensitivity. This study confirms the presence of multidrug-resistant Y. enterocolitica in raw milk, highlighting a potential public health risk and the need for improved antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary and agricultural practices. To prevent the transmission of foodborne diseases such as milk-borne diseases, it is recommended that raw cow's and sheep's milk be minimized and consumed in pasteurized or sterilized conditions.

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Archives of Razi Institute

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 08 December 2025

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