The antibiotic resistome in Escherichia coli isolated from human, food, and animal sources.

This study analyzes the prevalence and distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in Escherichia coli genomes isolated from human invasive clinical samples (ICH) and animal-based foods (ABF) worldwide, stratified by countries' Human Development Index (HDI). Using 7,123 genomes from the NCBI Pathogen Detection Database, the research found that in high-HDI countries (HDI ≥ 0.850), ARGs conferring resistance to cephalosporins (notably blaCTX-M-134 and blaCTX-M-27) predominated in clinical isolates, while aminoglycoside resistance genes (aadA12, ant(3"), aac(3)-IV) were highly prevalent in E. coli from animal-based foods. In lower-HDI countries (HDI ≤ 0.849), a greater diversity of ARGs was observed, including genes linked to resistance to macrolides, fluoroquinolones, β-lactams (e.g., blaCTX-M-15), and aminoglycosides, with some overlap between clinical and food sources. The findings highlight the role of antimicrobial use in both human medicine and animal production in shaping resistance profiles and underscore the need for targeted policies to address antimicrobial resistance, especially concerning aminoglycosides and cephalosporins, across different socioeconomic contexts.