Prevalence of multidrug resistance genes in Escherichia coli isolates from patients attending four hospitals in Minna, Nigeria
Objectives: This study determined the prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility and resistance genes among multidrug resistant Escherichia coli isolates from diarrheic patients in four hospitals within Minna, Nigeria. Methods: Stool samples from one hundred and seven (107) diarrheic patients were collected and analysed to check for E. coli using spread plate techniques. The resistance pattern of the E. coli isolates to ten (10) antibiotics using disc diffusion techniques was determined. Five isolates with multidrug resistant index 0.5 were screened for antibacterial resistant genes (Tn3bla, GyrA, ParC, aadA2 and Sul1) using polymerase chain reaction. Results: Seventy (70) samples representing 65.4% were E. coli positive while fifty five (55) were resistant to at least one antibiotic. The highest level of resistance was against ampicillin (38.57% while the least was against cefalexin (4.29% Multidrug resistant isolates were 58.7% (41/70) while 28.6% (20/70) were resistant to three or more antibiotics. The result of the molecular characterization identified the five multidrug resistant isolates to be E. coli strain RAD34, E. coli strain CUSMBN2, E. coli strain CAU3471, and E. coli strain BYPFP. Tn3bla/GyrA/ParC resistant genes were detected in all the five isolates. E. coli isolate RAD34, E. coli strain CUSMBN2, E. coli strain CAU3471 and E. coli strain BYPFP possessed Sul1 gene. However, E. coli strain BYPFP, E. coli strain CAU3471 and E. coli strain CUSMBN2 had aadA2 gene. Conclusion: The result of this study established the active circulation of Tn3bla, GyrA, ParC, aadA2 and Sul1 resistant genes among E. coli in the study area.