Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing and multidrug-resistant in street foods: a public health concern.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pattern and virulence genes of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing from foods of animal origin were evaluated. Based on combination disc method and ESBL E test, 42 of the 213 isolates were confirmed as ESBL producers where a high presence was observed in raw foods (60.62%), environmental samples (46.73%) and ready to eat foods (42.99%) of which 31(26.49%), 3(6.97%) and 7(15.21%) samples harbored ESBL , respectively. Higher contamination rates were observed in samples collected from meat vendors (54.36%), milk vendors (48.88%) and egg vendors (45.20%) of which 16.1%, 11.11% and 2.05%, respectively were ESBL . Among the 42 ESBL isolates, 85.71% (36/42) were multidrug-resistant. On polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, expression of beta-lactamase genes viz, was noted in 69.04% (29/42) ESBL isolates, in 66.66% (28/42) and in 19.04% (8/42) isolates, while was not detected in any of the isolates. Other AMR genes viz, , , , , , , , , , , were detected by PCR in 39, 28, 29, 3, 9, 5, 17, 11, 6, 6 and 33 isolates, respectively. None of the isolates harbored chloramphenicol () and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) () genes. However, 21 isolates were positive for class I integron (), 5 for EPEC () and 9 for ETEC () while none were carrying or genes. All ESBL producing isolates formed a single group when subjected to enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC PCR) genotyping. The presence of multidrug-resistant ESBL in street foods of animal origin raises the issues of food safety and public health.