Molecular Characterization of Resistance and Virulence Genes in Escherichia coli Isolated from Bats (Eidolon helvum) Faeces in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Escherichia coli is one of the primary intestinal commensal organisms found in endothermic animals and hence, it is widely disseminated in the environment. A total of 36 (10.68%) Escherichia coli was isolated from 101 faecal samples collected from straw coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) faeces from three different major cities (Ile-Ife, Osogbo and Ilesa) in Osun State, Nigeria. The E. coli isolates showed a higher percentage antibiotic resistance to augumentin (83.33%), followed by cefuroxime (69.44%), ceftazidime (55.55%), amoxicillin (38.88%), and cefotaxime (33.33%), but relatively low to eterpenem, meropenem, and tetracycline (11.11%) and also nitrofurantoin (8.33%). Multiple antibiotic resistance to three or more antibiotics was recorded among the isolates in all the study locations. Escherichia coli (16.7%) were multiple antibiotic-resistant. Six (100%) of the multiple antibiotic-resistant E. coli posesses MultiDHA gene while 3 (50%) were positive for TEM gene. The virulence gene eaeA had the highest prevalence of 83.3% while the least was observed in PAPC (16.7%) and ISS (16.7%) but no biofilm production was observed in all the isolates. The resistance found across the three locations indicated that resistance genes can be transmitted to other animal and human through direct and or indirect contact. The antibiotic resistance profile and patterns as well as the antibiotic resistance genes detected indicated the possibility of cross transmission and spread of the resistance trait among the organisms with great consequences in therapeutic management of infections resulting from such a source. The dendrogram shows that the isolates were genetically related across the three locations.