Pathovars, occurrence, and characterization of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance in diarrheal Escherichia coli isolated from farmers and farmed chickens in Tunisia and Nigeria.

This article focuses on the prevalence and characterization of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes in humans and poultry from Tunisia and Nigeria. Among 74 E. coli isolates studied, enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) was the most common pathotype detected in both human and chicken samples, surpassing enteropathogenic (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) strains. The isolates exhibited multidrug resistance, notably to β-lactams, quinolones/fluoroquinolones, and other antibiotics commonly used in these countries, with PMQR genes such as aac(6′)-Ib-cr and qepA identified as key contributors to fluoroquinolone resistance. The study highlights the potential role of poultry as reservoirs of pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant E. coli, underscoring the need for integrated surveillance under the "One Health" approach to better understand and control the spread of these strains in Africa.