MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT E. COLI ISOLATED FROM BACTEREMIA PATIENTS

Background: Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) bacteria have the ability to cause diverse and serious diseases, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) and bacteremia; incidence of bacteremia is increasing globally. The emergence of multidrug resistance in E. coli is also becoming a global concern, with particular emphasis on E. coli sequence type (ST) 131, which is being increasingly reported in UTIs. Drug resistance is mediated by extended- spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), mainly of the CTX-M family, particularly CTX-M-15, and less frequently of the SHV and OXA families. Few studies are available regarding the characterization of E. coli strains causing bacteremia. Methods:…