title: Antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli in husbandry animals: the African perspective.
abstract: In the last few years, different surveillances have been published in Africa, especially in northern countries, regarding antimicrobial resistance among husbandry animals. Information is still scarce, but the available data show a worrying picture. Although the highest resistance rates have been described against tetracycline, penicillins and sulphonamides, prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes and extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) are being increasingly reported. Among ESBLs, the CTX-M-1 group was dominant in most African surveys. Within this group, CTX-M-15 was the main variant both in animals and humans, except in Tunisia where CTX-M-1 was more frequently detected among Escherichia coli from poultry. Certain blaCTX-M-15-harbouring clones (ST131/B2 or ST405/D) are mainly identified in humans, but they have also been reported in livestock species from Tanzania, Nigeria or Tunisia. Moreover, several reports suggest an inter-host circulation of specific plasmids (e.g. blaCTX-M-1-carrying IncI1/ST3 in Tunisia, IncY- and Inc-untypeable replicons co-harbouring qnrS1 and blaCTX-M-15in Tanzania and the worldwide distributed blaCTX-M-15-carrying IncF-type plasmids). International trade of poultry meat seems to have contributed to the spread of other ESBL variants, such as CTX-M-14, and clones. Furthermore, first descriptions of OXA-48- and OXA-181-producing E. coli have been recently documented in cattle from Egypt, and the emergent plasmid-mediated colistin resistance mcr-1 gene has been also identified in chickens from Algeria, Tunisia and South Africa. These data reflect the urgent need of a larger regulation in the use of veterinary drugs and the implementation of surveillance programmes in order to decelerate the advance of antimicrobial resistance in this continent.
authors.affiliation: Área Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Área Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarazaga
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben Sallem
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Épidémiologie et Microbiologie Vétérinaire. Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jouini
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ben Slama
authors.affiliation: Área Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000462:Algeria; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics*; D004534:Egypt; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria; D011200:Poultry / Q000382:microbiology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D013019:South Africa; D014416:Tunisia; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C000614037:MCR-1 protein, E coli; C473109:beta-lactamase CTX-M-15; C055184:beta-lactamase TEM-3; D001618:beta-Lactamases; C000607154:beta-lactamase OXA-181, E coli; C000601047:beta-lactamase OXA-48, E coli
keywords: 
  Escherichia coli
  ; Africa; antibiotic resistance; husbandry animals; β-lactamases