Prevalence and diversity of resistance genes identified in Escherichia coli isolated from raw bovine milk: a multicontinental systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2025v46n4p1243Keywords:
Antimicrobial resistance, E. coli, ESBL, Genes, Raw milk.Abstract
Escherichia coli is a bacterium found in the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans that can cause zoonotic infections. Strains producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are emerging globally as an important cause of resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. This systematic review aimed to investigate the prevalence of Escherichia coli and the diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes in isolates obtained from raw bovine milk. Articles available in the scientific databases PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, Scopus, and Web of Science from the last five years were evaluated. A total of 16 studies from 13 countries across four continents Asia, Africa, North America, and South America were included in this review. The highest prevalence of E. coli was reported in Indonesia, with two distinct results: 91.81% (101/110) in one study and 70.05% (141/200) in another. In Turkey, the prevalence was 78.33% (47/60), and in Iran, 72.09% (62/86). Some antibiotics showed higher resistance rates, such as amoxicillin (59 cases; 85.51%) and ceftriaxone (109 cases; 47.41%). The analysis revealed differences in the prevalence of resistance genes. The tetA gene was the most frequent, detected in 49 cases (73.14%), while mcr-1 had the lowest prevalence, with nine cases (3.47%). The presence of resistance genes such as blaTEM, blaCTX-M, blaSHV, tetA, and mcr-1 in E. coli strains from raw milk poses a significant public health risk, highlighting the need for targeted policies to regulate antibiotic use, monitor antimicrobial resistance, and implement good agricultural practices.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mikaely Giordanno Medeiros de Araújo, Giliel Rodrigues Leandro , Fernanda Augusta de Andrade Medeiros Araújo, Mônica Adriana Araújo de Souza, Sergio Santos de Azevedo, Carolina de Sousa Américo Batista Santos

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