Aim: To detect antibiotic-resistant pathogenic Escherichia coli in house flies captured from various environmental settings. Materials & methods: Isolation and identification of E. coli was performed based on culture and PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using disk diffusion test. Detection of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes was carried out using PCR methods. Results: The prevalence of E. coli in flies was 61% with highest in dairy farms (70.67%) followed by food centers (65.33%), dustbins (64%) and area close to hospital (44%). The prevalence rates of tetA, tetB, ereA, CITM, SHV, mcr-3 and catA1 resistance determinants were 88.75, 48.52, 41.67, 37.17, 27.77, 18.37 and 14.81%, respectively. Conclusion: Multidrug-resistant pathogenic E. coli are widely distributed in house flies, which requires a one-health approach to delineate their control.
Keywords: antibiotic; colistin; environment; epidemiology; house flies; multidrug; one-health; virulence.