Prevalence of multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing Escherichia coli isolated from beef and sheep meat in Sylhet, Bangladesh

Nowadays, the spread of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) from food animals to humans is considered to be a serious public health problem. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from beef and sheep meat. A total of 400 meat samples (200 beef and 200 sheep) were randomly collected from different slaughterhouses and wet markets in Habiganj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj districts of the Sylhet division of Bangladesh. Among 400 samples, 136 E. coli were isolated from meat samples (90 beef and 46 sheep). Disc diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility assay was used to test the antimicrobial susceptibility traits of E. coli. The overall prevalence of multidrug resistance was 56.67% in E. coli of beef samples and 43.47% in E. coli of sheep meat. E. coli isolates of the meat samples (beef and sheep meat) were found to be 100% resistant to both Erythromycin and Ampicillin (100%), and 100% sensitive to Cotrimoxazole, Ciprofloxacin, Gentamycin, Levofloxacin, and Colistin. Furthermore, antibiotic sensitivity tests were performed using Cefotaxime, Ceftazidine, Ceftriaxone, and Aztreonam to know the prevalence of ESBL producers in isolated E. coli. ESBL-producing E. coli, which showed resistance to both Cefotaxime and Ceftriaxone, was found at 21.11 % (19/90) and 4.35% (2/46) in beef and sheep meat respectively. Our results showed that the best drugs to treat animals afflicted with ESBL-producing E. coli were Ceftazidine and Aztreonam, highlighting the urgent need to minimize the unnecessary use of antibiotics.