Sheep and goats as reservoirs of colistin-resistant E. coli: first detection of ETEC ST10 and E. coli ST6396 mcr-1 positive strains in North Africa.

AIM: This study aimed to screen and characterize colistin-resistant strains isolated from different livestock species in Algeria, including sheep, goats, and dromedaries.

METHODS AND

RESULTS

A total of 197 rectal and nasal swabs were screened for colistin-resistant Gram-negative bacilli. Twenty one isolates were selected, identified, and their antibiotic resistance was phenotypically and genotypically characterized. The majority (15/21) were affiliated to Escherichia coli, from which 4 strains isolated from sheep (n = 2) and goats (n = 2) and belonging to phylogroup A and ST10 and ST6396 lineages, respectively, carried the mcr-1 gene. The remaining isolates were identified as belonging to the following genera: Raoultella, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the presence of virulent and multiresistant Gram-negative bacilli in farm animals, increasing the risk of transmitting potentially fatal infections to humans.