Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns in E. coli, Morocco

Ecohealth. 2019 Sep;16(3):570-575. doi: 10.1007/s10393-019-01404-8. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Abstract

Of 28 non-duplicate isolates of Escherichia coli recovered from yellow-legged Larus michahellis in Morocco, 92.86% were resistant to more than three antibiotics and 71.4% were multidrug resistant. Phylogenetic group A was most predominant (57.14%), followed by B1 (18%), B2 (14.28%) and F (10.71%). One isolate was resistant to ertapenem and contained the blaOXA-48 gene. The plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants were detected in nine isolates (aac(6')-Ib-cr, qnrS1, qnrB1). Thirteen isolates carried one of the Shiga toxin E. coli-associated genes: stx1 (n = 6), stx2 (n = 5) and eae (n = 2) genes. Our data support the idea that gull feces may create potential public health risk.

Keywords: Antibiotic-resistant E. coli; Larus michahellis; Morocco; PMQR; Phylogenetic group; Virulence genes.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bird Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Charadriiformes / microbiology*
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / genetics
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / physiology*
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects*
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Morocco / epidemiology
  • Quinolones / pharmacology
  • Virulence
  • beta-Lactamases / pharmacology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Quinolones
  • beta-Lactamases