title: Occurrence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance and virulence genes in avian Escherichia coli isolates from Algeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The emergence and spread of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in poultry products puts consumers at risk of exposure to the strains of E. coli that resist antibiotic treatment. The objective of this study was to define the prevalence and virulence potential of poultry-associated nalidixic acid (NAL)-resistant E. coli in the Annaba city, Algeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 33 samples of retail chicken meat were purchased from various butcher shops and examined for bacterial contamination with NAL-resistant E. coli. These isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and were also investigated for the presence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes and virulence genes using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. Phylogenetic grouping of the NAL-resistant E. coli isolates was determined by the conventional multiplex PCR method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine (87.8%) products yielded NAL-resistant E. coli. Antibiograms revealed that 96.55% of NAL-resistant E. coli isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR). Resistance was most frequently observed against sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (96.6%), tetracycline (96.6%), ciprofloxacin (72%), and amoxicillin (65.5%). Group A was the most prevalent phylogenetic group, followed by groups D, B1, and B2. The PMQR determinants were detected in three isolates with qnrB72 and qnrS1 type identified. Four (13.8%) isolates carried one of the Shiga toxin E. coli-associated genes stx1, stx2, and ehxA alleles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high prevalence of NAL-resistant E. coli isolated from retail chicken meat with detection of MDR E. coli harboring Shiga toxin genes in this study gives a warning signal for possible occurrence of foodborne infections with failure in antibiotic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, Larbi Ben M'hidi Oum El Bouaghi University, Oum El Bouaghi, Algeria. laarem2001@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Meradi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laarem
authors.forename: Abouddihaj
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barguigua
authors.forename: Kaotar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nayme
authors.forename: Abdi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akila
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zerouali
authors.forename: Naima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El Mdaghri
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Timinouni
mesh_terms: D000462:Algeria; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002645:Chickens; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005506:Food Contamination; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D058889:Molecular Typing; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D010957:Plasmids / Q000032:analysis*; D015995:Prevalence; D015363:Quinolones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D022621:Shiga Toxin / Q000235:genetics; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015363:Quinolones; D037521:Virulence Factors; D022621:Shiga Toxin