Abstract
The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance is continuing to increase. Consequently, efficient approaches to identify sources of resistance are required. This study aimed to compare
Escherichia coli
isolates from the intestinal tract of camels with isolates from human urinary tract infections (UTIs) in Al Ahsa Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), for antimicrobial resistance and identification of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). A microbiological study was conducted on 100 samples of cecal contents from camels and 100 urine samples from female UTI patients, to isolate and confirm
E. coli
using the VITEK 2 Automated System. Sensitivity patterns and identification of ESBLs were analyzed using the antimicrobial susceptibility test. Molecular techniques were used to detect
E. coli
drug-resistant clones. The presence rate of
E. coli
in camels was 26.0 % (
n
= 26/100), and in human samples, the rate of
E. coli
was 33.0 % (
n
= 33/100). ESBLs were reported for the first time in KSA, in 26.9 % (
n
= 5/26) of camel samples and 36.4 % (
n
= 8/33) of human samples. The multi-drug resistance (MDR) index was 0.13 and 0.17, for camels and humans, respectively.
Escherichia coli
drug-resistant O25b:H4-sequence type 131(ST131) clone was detected in two camel and two human isolates. This study demonstrates a high presence rate of ESBL-producing
E. coli
(ESBL-EC) in camels for the first time in KSA. Confirmation of MDR strains and
E. coli
ST131 clone in human and camel isolates suggests that camels could be a potential reservoir for resistant
E. coli
strains contributing to the increase in antimicrobial resistance in KSA.