title: Prevalence of class 1 and 2 integrons in multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli isolated from aquaculture water in Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Integrons play important role in the spread and maintenance of antimicrobial resistance among strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and other species of Enterobacteriaceae. This study investigated the prevalence of class 1 and 2 integrons among E. coli strains isolated from aquaculture water of fish fields in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty water samples from different geographical regions in Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province were examined over a 2 months period. Isolation was through culture and biochemical tests. Integrons were identified through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using oligonucleotide primers specific for class 1 and 2 integrons. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using disc diffusion methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen percent of the water samples were positive for E. coli. All the strains were multi-drug resistant; 100% to ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, gentamycin, ampicillin and tetracycline and least resistant to imipenem (7.2%). Ten (50%) of the most resistant strains were positive for class 1 (40%) and class 2 (10%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Escherichia coli in aquaculture in Iran carried integrons class 1 and 2 which could be of public health concern since they could play a role in the spread and maintenance of antimicrobial resistance among bacterial population in the region and should be constantly monitored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran. ee_tajbakhsh@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Elahe
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tajbakhsh
authors.affiliation: Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran. Dr_Faham@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Faham
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khamesipour
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ranjbar@bmsu.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranjbar
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. ifeoma.cugwu@unn.edu.ng.
authors.forename: Ifeoma Chinyere
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Ugwu
mesh_terms: D017756:Aquaculture; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D032023:Integrons; D007492:Iran; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial