Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)-producing E. coli isolation from minced camel meat and identify the phenotype and genotype of the ESBL. A total of 150 samples were collected randomly from butchers' shops in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The results indicated that, overall, 17 (11.3 %) E. coli isolates were recovered from the minced meat samples. The isolates were classified biochemically at the species level using the VITEK 2 system. The antibiotic susceptibility of E. coli isolates was determined based on their MIC profile. The highest resistance was determined to be ampicillin (64.7%), doxycycline (23.5%), cefotaxime (23.5%) and ciprofloxacin (17.6%). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was determined in four isolates. Screening of the 17 isolates for ESBLs revealed that, four strains were resistant to cefotaxime and ceftazidime. A combination disk test (CDT) was used for ESBL phenotype conformation. The ESBL-encoding genes were characterized by PCR. The four isolates produced CTX-M group-1 ESBLs. The blaSHV gene was detected in one isolate and blaTEM in two isolates. The eaeA gene was detected in 3 isolates, stx2 gene in two isolates with the hlyA gene in one isolate. It can be concluded that there is clear evidence of the circulation of ESBLs producing E. coli in the minced camel meat. A high resistance was determined to ampicillin and doxycycline. The molecular detection of virulence genes may suggest the transmission of foodborne illness to consumers.