Molecular detection of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence genes in E. coli isolated from sheep and goat faecal samples

E. coli is a gram negative bacterium commonly found in the intestine of animals and humans. Most E. coli are harmless but some can cause infection. Antimicrobial resistance is a public health problem, hence this study was carried out to estimate the antimicrobial resistance pattern and virulotyping of E. coli isolates.

During the period 2018–19, a total of 100 faecal samples from goats (n=50) and sheep (n=50) were processed for isolation and identification of E. coli. All the E. coli isolates were tested for resistance against 10 different antibiotics. The prevalence of various antibiotic resistance genes viz bla TEM, tetA and tetB and virulence genes Stx1, Stx2 and hlyA in all E. coli isolates was determined by PCR.

Out of 100 samples, 40 isolates of E. coli (24 from goats and 16 from sheep) were isolated, identified biochemically and by PCR. Majority of the E. coli isolates were found resistant to penicillin (100%) followed by ampicillin (93%), tetracycline, (68.8%), gentamicin (37.4%), ceftriazone (18.8%), amikacin (16.7%), chloramphenicol (4.2%), co- trimoxazole (4.2%) and ofloxacin (4.2%). Out of all the isolates, 12 isolates were positive for blaTEM, 10 for tetB, 19 for tetA, five for Stx1 and hlyA and none carried Stx2 gene.