β-lactam antibiotics are a key element in the treatment of bacterial infections. However, the excessive use of these antibiotics has contributed to the emergence of β-lactam-resistant enterobacteria, including Escherichia coli. One of the main challenges facing the public health sector is antibacterial resistance (ABR), mainly due to limited options in its pharmacological treatment. Currently, extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) present an alarming situation, as there is an increase in morbidity and mortality rates, prolonged hospital stays, and increased costs for sanitary supplies, which involve not only humans but also the environment and animals, especially animals destined for food production. This review presents an analysis of the prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli and its distribution in different animal sources throughout the world, providing an understanding of the association with resistance and virulence genes, as well as perceiving the population structure of E. coli.

In the food industry, one of the main challenges is providing products free from pathogens that cause high morbidity and mortality in consumers. This situation has been further aggravated by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, with some notable examples such as extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC), due to their impact on the healthcare sector, causing difficult-to-treat infections. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of ESBL-EC and their antibiotic resistance patterns in chicken meat sold in Tamaulipas, Mexico. A total of 130 chicken meat samples from 17 municipalities in Tamaulipas were analyzed during 2024. An average prevalence of 20.7% of ESBL-EC was detected. Thirty-eight different antibiotic resistance patterns were identified, and 85.1% were multidrug-resistant (MDR). When classifying the strains into phylogroups, 63.8% were considered commensal (groups A and B1) and 36.1% pathogenic (groups B2 and D). The results of this study demonstrate the presence of pathogenic MDR ESBL-EC strains in chicken meat sold in Tamaulipas, suggesting possible improper handling of this meat, which may pose a risk to consumers. These results also emphasize the need to monitor the presence of antibiotic resistant strains in chicken meat and other foods sold in Mexico.

Antibiotic resistance constitutes a significant public health challenge, with diverse reservoirs of resistant bacteria playing pivotal roles in their dissemination. Among these reservoirs, pets are carrying antibiotic-resistant strains. The objective of this study was to assess the resistance profiles of Escherichia coli, and the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing E. coli strains in dogs and cats from Tamaulipas, Mexico. A total of 300 stool samples (150 dogs and 150 cats) from healthy pets were subjected to analysis. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and the identification of ESBLs were carried out by disc diffusion method. The presence of resistance genes, class 1, 2, and 3 integrons (intI1, intI2, and intI3) and phylogroups was determined by PCR analysis. The findings reveal that 42.6% (128/300) of the strains exhibited resistance to at least one of the eight antibiotics assessed, and 18.6% (56/300) demonstrated multidrug resistance (MDR), that distributed across 69 distinct resistance patterns. Altogether 2.6% of E. coli strains (8/300) were confirmed as TEM and CTX-M type ESBL producers. These outcomes underscore the roles of dogs and cats in Tamaulipas as reservoirs for the dissemination of MDR and/or ESBL strains. The results underscore the necessity for conducting prevalence studies on ESBL-producing E. coli, forming a foundation for comprehending the present scenario and formulating strategies for the control and mitigation of this issue.

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has increased, making it difficult to treat infections that are associated with increasing morbidity and mortality. The presence of strains resistant to several antibiotics, such as ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC), in livestock has been reported in several countries, posing a potential risk to consumer health. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of ESBL-producing E. coli in poultry in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Poultry cloacal samples were taken for the identification of ESBL-EC, antibiotic susceptibility patterns were determined, the virulence genes (stx1, stx2 and hlyA) and classification of phylogroups were detected by PCR. The results showed an average prevalence of 17.5% (28/160) ESBL-EC strains in poultry. All strains (28/28) were resistant to ampicillin and ceftriaxone. On the contrary, all strains were sensitive to amikacin, netilmicin, and nitrofurantoin. A total of 64.2% (18/28) of strains were MDR. The 32.1% (9/28) of the strains belonged to the B2 and D phylogroups, which are considered pathogenic groups, with 33.3% (3/9) MDR. This indicates that poultry in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, is a reservoir of pathogenic strains with antibiotic resistance and MDR, which may pose a risk to public health.