title: Antimicrobial drug resistance in strains of Escherichia coli isolated from food sources.
abstract: A variety of foods and environmental sources harbor bacteria that are resistant to one or more antimicrobial drugs used in medicine and agriculture. Antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli is of particular concern because it is the most common Gram-negative pathogen in humans. Hence this study was conducted to determine the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of E. coli isolated from different types of food items collected randomly from twelve localities of Hyderabad, India. A total of 150 samples comprising; vegetable salad, raw egg-surface, raw chicken, unpasteurized milk, and raw meat were processed microbiologically to isolate E. coli and to study their antibiotic susceptibility pattern by the Kirby-Bauer method. The highest percentages of drug resistance in isolates of E. coli were detected from raw chicken (23.3%) followed by vegetable salad (20%), raw meat (13.3%), raw egg-surface (10%) and unpasteurized milk (6.7%). The overall incidence of drug resistant E. coli was 14.7%. A total of six (4%) Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) producers were detected, two each from vegetable salads and raw chicken, and one each from raw egg-surface and raw meat. Multidrug resistant strains of E. coli are a matter of concern as resistance genes are easily transferable to other strains. Pathogen cycling through food is very common and might pose a potential health risk to the consumer. Therefore, in order to avoid this, good hygienic practices are necessary in the abattoirs to prevent contamination of cattle and poultry products with intestinal content as well as forbidding the use of untreated sewage in irrigating vegetables.
authors: Centre for Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Studies, Secunderabad, India.
authors: Mohammed Uddin
authors: MU
authors: Rasheed
authors: Department of Microbiology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India.
authors: Nooruddin
authors: N
authors: Thajuddin
authors: Department of Microbiology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India.
authors: Parveez
authors: P
authors: Ahamed
authors: Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.
authors: Zelalem
authors: Z
authors: Teklemariam
authors: Centre for Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Studies, Secunderabad, India.
authors: Kaiser
authors: K
authors: Jamil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D052978:Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007194:India; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents