Fecal carriage of ESBL-, carbapenemase- and AmpC- producing Escherichia coli in cattle and sheep in Algeria: Emergence of NDM and OXA-181

Introduction: The spread of third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant Escherichia coli in food-producing animals poses a significant threat to public health, with limited data from cattle and sheep in Algeria. This study investigated the prevalence of 3GC-resistant E. coli in cattle and sheep in Guelma, northeast Algeria. Methodology: 285 fecal samples were collected from cattle (n=145) and sheep (n=140) on 28 farms. Samples were screened for 3GC-resistant E. coli . Antibiotic susceptibility was tested, and ESBL and carbapenemase production were evaluated using double disc and EDTA tests. PCR identified resistance and integron genes. Results: Twenty-seven cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates were detected in 17% of bovine and 1% of ovine samples, spanning 43% of the farms. Multidrug resistance was observed in 85% of isolates, with high resistance to β-lactams, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The following beta-lactamase genes were detected: bla _CTX-M (74%), bla _CMY (44%), bla _NDM-1 (37%), and bla _OXA-181 (4%) were identified. Class 1 integrons were also detected in ten isolates. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the presence of ESBL-, AmpC-, and carbapenemase-producing E. coli among Algerian livestock, highlighting the need for comprehensive monitoring and control to manage the spread of these resistant bacteria.