Analyses of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase, Metallo-β-Lactamase, and AmpC-β-Lactamase Producing Enterobacteriaceae from the Dairy Value Chain in India

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Introduction:

The introduction provides a comprehensive overview of the background and significance of the study. It highlights the importance of the dairy sector in India, particularly in relation to antibiotic use and its potential impact on antibiotic resistance (AMR). However, the introduction lacks critical engagement with previous literature and does not adequately address the existing knowledge gaps that the study aims to address.

Results:

While the presence of specific resistance genes is noted, their clinical and epidemiological significance is not adequately described. Are these genes commonly associated with human infections, and do they have established mechanisms of spread within the dairy chain or beyond?

 

Discussion:

The discussion provides insights into the implications of the study's findings, but there are areas that need improvement:

Risk Assessment: The need for risk assessment is emphasized, but the discussion should elaborate on the potential public health consequences of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in dairy products. How might the consumption of such products impact the occurrence of AMR-related infections in humans?

Limitations and Future Directions: The limitations of the study, particularly the small sample size and potential biases, should be more thoroughly discussed. Additionally, future research directions, especially in the context of controlling AMR, should be proposed.

Global Perspective: While the manuscript focuses on the situation in India, it could benefit from discussing the global implications of antibiotic resistance in the dairy industry and how similar studies in other countries contribute to the understanding of this issue.

 

 

Overall, the manuscript has a strong foundation but requires enhancements in terms of framing the findings within the existing literature, exploring the ecological implications of bacterial species, and providing a more comprehensive discussion of the clinical and public health significance of the resistance genes detected. Further, the study's limitations and potential avenues for future research should be more explicitly addressed.

It needs minor improvement

Author Response

Please find the responses in the attached file.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

I’m very pleased to review this paper. The authors investigate the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae producing β-lactamases (ESBL, MBL, and AmpC) in cow and buffalo milk samples from two states in India, Haryana and Assam. This study highlights the presence of various prevalent β-lactamase genes in milk isolates, indicating the potential risk of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in dairy products. The idea and logical structure of the article are very clear, and is suitable for publication in this magazine.

In addition, this study can be strengthened by addressing following point:

1.      Please add in the part 4 (Materials and Methods):How to conduct the Epsilometer test (E-test) and the DDT.

I’m very pleased to review this paper. The authors investigate the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae producing β-lactamases (ESBL, MBL, and AmpC) in cow and buffalo milk samples from two states in India, Haryana and Assam. This study highlights the presence of various prevalent β-lactamase genes in milk isolates, indicating the potential risk of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in dairy products. The idea and logical structure of the article are very clear, and is suitable for publication in this magazine.

In addition, this study can be strengthened by addressing following point:

1.     Please add in the part 4 (Materials and Methods):How to operate the Epsilometer test (E-test) and the DDT experiment.

 

 

Author Response

Please find the responses in the attached file.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

This study provides information of the the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae producing β-lactamases (ESBL, MBL, and AmpC) in cow and buffalo milk samples from India, using genotypic and phenotypic methods and indicating the potential risk of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in dairy products. The manuscript is well written and I only have two main considerations to the manuscript.

 

I suggest to include in the manuscript the results of the susceptibility assays performed to the quality control strain Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, in order to discuss if these values are between the acceptable ranges considered in the CLSI guidelines.

 

Another aspect to consider refers to the confirmation of the presence of the detected bla genes. It is highly suggested to sequence the amplified fragments to avoid the occurrence of false positive results, because the observation of amplicons of the expected size does not ensure the presence of that gene. At least this aspect should be included in the discussion of the results.

 

English grammar and wording are good..

 

Author Response

Please find the responses in the attached file.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf