Detection of ESBLs in enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC)‎ isolates associated with infantile diarrhea in Kut city

الملخص EN

A total of 325 fecal specimens were collected from children with diarrhea.

28 E.

coli isolates (8.6 %) were recovered and serotypically identified as EPEC.

Results found that the highest numbers of the EPEC isolates were belonging to polyvalent I, with the following serotypes, O111 : k58 (B4) (54 %), O55:k59(B5) (14 %).

The antibiotic susceptibility phenotypes of the EPEC isolates were also determined.

All isolates (100%) were multi-drug resistants.

None of the isolates were found to be resistant to imipenem.

All isolates have been found resistant to at least one β-lactam antibiotic and 27 isolates (96.4 %) were able to produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs).

This study showed that the prevalence of ESBL among EPEC producers is higher than previous studies in Iraq.