Multidrug Resistance among Gram Negative E. coli in Chicken Meat (Rafha-Saudi Arabia)

Aims: Multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria pose a major public health issuer globally. The genes for antibiotic resistance are transferred vertically in the form of genomic DNA and horizontally in the form of plasmids or transposons. Antibiotic are extensively used in animal farming to treat and prevent animal diseases, and at sub-therapeutic doses, they are used to promote animal growth. This extensive use of antibiotics is causing an increase in resistance among bacteria. More frequent, chicken meat available at retail shops is reported to be contaminated with a variety of drug resistant bacteria including E. Coli. The aim of the present study was to investigate antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli strains isolated from chicken meat available in the local shops of Rafha, Saudi Arabia.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of basic health sciences, College of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha, Saudi Arabia, between February and October, 2019

Methodology: Eighty-six E. coli strains, isolated from chicken meat, were tested for their antibiotic resistance profile, using the disc diffusion method.

Results: All the isolated E. coli strains were tested against 14 antibiotics. The maximum resistance was found against penicillin G (95%) followed by amoxicillin (85%), Cephalothin (81%), Erythromycin (72%), and Tetracycline (50%). Imipenem was the most effective agent of all with only 1% resistance followed by Cefepime with almost 6% resistance.

A high percentage of the isolates (57%,) were multidrug resistant as they were non—susceptible to at least one antimicrobial in ≥3 antimicrobial classes including amoxicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline.

Conclusion: The prevalence of MDR E. coli in retail chicken meat is very high and could pose a serious threat to public health.