MOLECULAR DETECTION OF MULTIDRUG RESISTANT Escherichia coli ISOLATED FROM BUFFALO MEAT AND OFFAL

Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a significant source of high-quality milk and meat in Egypt. The goal of this research was to investigate the serotypes, virulence genes, and antibiotic resistance profiles of Escherichia coil (E. coli) detected in buffalo meat and offal. E. coli was detected at 26.67%, 56.67%, 60%, 13.33%, and 23.33% of buffalo meat, minced meat, liver, heart, and kidney, respectively. The detected E. coli was serologically identified as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) O78, O2:H6, O1:H7, O153:H2 and O153:H11. Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O91: H21 and O26: H11 in addition to enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) O127:H6, O126:H11, and O128:H2. All of the isolated E. coli was resistant to penicillin. Furthermore, 85%, 77.5%, 72.5%, 60%, 55%, and 52.5% of the isolates were resistant to erythromycin, ampicillin, cephalothin, nalidixic acid, kanamycin, and oxacillin, respectively. Thirty-one out of forty examined E. coli (77.5%) were resistant to at least three antibiotic classes and thus were considered as multidrug resistant (MDR) E. coli. Ten MDR isolates were submitted for molecular determination of virulence genes including iron uptake (iutA) gene, attaching and effacing (eae) gene, and increased serum survival (iss) gene, with detection rates of 80%, 30%, and 100%, respectively. In conclusion, buffalo meat and offal can be considered as potential sources of multidrug resistant E. coli.