Multiple Resistance in Clinical Isolates of Escherichia coli and Plasmid-mediated Quinolone Resistance Genes
Ugo U. Anayo
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria.
Nna E. Okechukwu
Safety Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Molecular Pathology Institute, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Onyemelukwe F. Ngozi
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria.
Samson O. Aisida *
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 41000, Nigeria.
Canice C. Anyachukwu
Department of Medical rehabilitation, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Quinolone antibiotics have been commonly used to treat cases of multiple antibiotic resistance. Unfortunately, quinolone antibiotics have so much been resisted by infectious bacterial agents. This study aimed to evaluate the susceptibility of some clinical isolates of E. coli to some commonly used quinolone antibiotics and the determination of the plasmid-encoded quinolone resistance genes.
Our results showed the plasmid quinolone-resistance genes in the following prevalence: qnr genes: qnr S (71.4 %); qnr B (15.4 %); qnr S and B (12.1 %); aac (6) lb-cr (4 %); Efflux genes: oqxA (7.7 %); oqxB (25.3 %); qepA (12.1 %); oqxA and oqxB (5.5 %). We conclude that there is a high frequency of Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes in Escherichia coli isolates from clinical samples in South-Eastern Nigeria. These could be responsible for the high incidence of quinolone resistance reported in Enugu. There is a need for whole-genome sequencing to map out all resistance genes.
Keywords: Escherichia coli, quinolone antibiotics, plasmid, antibiotics, quinolone genes