The importance of plasmids in the development of antibiotic resistance in P. multocida
Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 02 August 2026
Mohammad Tabatabaei, Seyed Mehdi Joghataei
Abstract An emerging global threat is the development of resistance to various antibiotic groups among pathogenic bacteria, including P. multocida, The excessive use of antibiotics and presence of antibiotic resistance carriers play a significant role in the development of multiple resistances to antimicrobial agents. Given the role and importance of plasmids in the development of antibiotic resistance, it is important to prevent the transfer, replication, and multiplication of plasmids by eliminating plasmids. In this study, the role of plasmids in the development and transmission of antibiotic resistance in P. multocida was investigated and evaluated. This study was performed on of P. multocida isolates were collected from apparently healthy and ailing animals (February to September 2014). Identification of P. multocida isolates using standard biochemical tests and kmt1 gene amplification. After initial tests and plasmid DNA extraction, five plasmid-containing isolates were selected for further work. To compare antibiotic resistance after plasmid removal, the disk diffusion method was used. Based on the results, it was determined that all plasmid-containing isolates that showed a high level of antibiotic resistance (especially with large plasmids) became sensitive to antimicrobial agents after plasmid removal. Therefore, according to the results obtained, the role and importance of plasmids in the development of antibiotic resistance in P. multocida is determined. It was also determined in this study that the existence and persistence of plasmids by P. multocida bacteria is of great importance in the role of plasmids in the development of antibiotic resistance.
