Extended-spectrum β -lactamase-producing E. coli from retail meat and workers: genetic diversity, virulotyping, pathotyping and the antimicrobial effect of silver nanoparticles

Background The spread of extended-spectrum β -lactamases (ESBL) producing E. coli from food animals and the environment to humans has become a significant public health concern. The objectives of this study were to determine the occurrence, pathotypes, virulotypes, genotypes, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of ESBL-producing E. coli in retail meat samples and workers in retail meat shops in Egypt and to evaluate the bactericidal efficacy of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs-H 2 O 2 ) against multidrug resistant (MDR) ESBL-producing E. coli . Results A total of 250 retail meat samples and 100 human worker samples (hand swabs and stool) were examined for the presence of ESBL- producing E. coli . Duck meat and workers’ hand swabs were the highest proportion of ESBL- producing E. coli isolates (81.1%), followed by camel meat (61.5%). Pathotyping revealed that the isolates belonged to groups A and B1. Virulotyping showed that the most prevalent virulence gene was Shiga toxin 2 ( stx2 ) associated gene (36.9%), while none of the isolates harbored stx1 gene. Genotyping of the identified isolates from human and meat sources by REP-PCR showed 100% similarity within the same cluster between human and meat isolates. All isolates were classified as MDR with an average multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of 0.7. AgNPs-H 2 O 2 at concentrations of 0.625, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 μg/mL showed complete bacterial growth inhibition. Conclusions Virulent MDR ESBL-producing E. coli were identified in retail meat products in Egypt, posing significant public health threats. Regular monitoring of ESBL-producing E. coli frequency and antimicrobial resistance profile in retail meat products is crucial to enhance their safety. AgNPs-H 2 O 2 is a promising alternative for treating MDR ESBL-producing E. coli infections and reducing antimicrobial resistance risks.