Antimicrobial Resistance Profile and Extended Spectrum Beta-lactamase Resistance Genes in Escherichia coli from Patients in General Hospital, Karshi, Abuja, Nigeria

Aims: This study investigated the antimicrobial resistance profile and extended spectrum beta-lactamase resistance genes in Escherichia coli of from urine of patients sourced from General Hospital, Karshi, Abuja, Nigeria. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, between August 2022 and February 2023. Methodology: A total of 120 samples were collected from patients. Escherichia coli was isolated from the samples using standard microbiological methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was evaluated as described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The detection of ESBL production in E. coli isolates was carried out using double disc synergy test.  In addition, molecular detection of ESBL genes was carried out using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. Results: The prevalence of E. coli was 17.5% (21/120), out of which two (2) of the positive isolates (9.5%) were male, and 19 (90.5%) female. Antibiotic resistances in the isolates in decreasing order were as follows: sulphamethoxazole / trimethoprim (SXT: 81.0%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AMC: 61.9%), ofloxacin (OFX: 66.7%), cefotaxime (CTX: 53.4%), gentamicin (CN: 42.9%), ceftriaxone (CRO: 33.3%), imipenem (IPM: 33.3%), meropenem (MOR: 42.4%), nitrofurantoin (NET: 20.3%) and ciprofloxacin (CIP: 23.8%). The commonest antibiotic resistant resistance phenotype was CIP-OFX-SXT (23.8%). Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) was observed in 90.5% (19/21) of the isolates, with the common MAR index being 0.3 (23.8%). Six of the twenty one beta-lactam resistant isolates (28.5%) were confirmed ESBL producers. The 6 ESBL positive isolates carried bla genes as follows: blaTEM (1/6, 16.7%) and blaCTX-M (1/6, 16.7%). blaSHV only was not found in any of the isolates. Conclusion: The E. coli isolates from urine of patients in General Hospital, Karshi, Abuja, Nigeria was less resistant to ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, meropenem and imipenem. This implies that the antibiotics are useful in the treatment of infection caused by E. coli. Also, ESBL-positive E. coli isolates harbored ESBL genes, with blaCTX-M and blaTEM as the most common.