South Asian Journal of Research in Microbiology

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global health challenge, particularly the emergence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase -producing Escherichia coli, which compromises the efficacy of beta-lactam antibiotics. The increased in acquisition of resistant genes by this organism is brought about by widespread use of antibiotics. This study aimed to determine the molecular characterization of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli among patients with UTIs attending the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi,

Methods: A total of 400 urine sample aseptically cultured on CLED agar and identified using standard biochemical tests. Molecular confirmation of Escherichia coli was performed via PCR targeting the uidA gene, while ESBL-associated genes (blaCTX-M, BlaSHV, BlaTEM) were detected using multiplex PCR. 

Results: Molecular screening confirmed 48.7% of the tested strains to be Escherichia coli, in which 84% of these were ESBL producers. The predominant gene detected was bla sub CTX-M (68.75%), followed by bla sub TEM (12.5%) and BLA_CTXM / BLA_TEMco-expression (18.75%). No bla sub SHV genes were identified. ESBL production was more frequent in females (4.9%) than males (2.9%), and most prevalent among patients aged 61–70 years (16.7%).

Conclusion: The findings revealed the circulation of bla sub CTX-M genes in patients harbouring Escherichia coli infection and suggest the need for a robust antibiotic stewardship within the state