Antibiotic resistance patterns of STEC and ETEC strains: A study on frozen foods of animal origin and children with acute diarrhea

Objective: Shigatoxin producing E. coli (STEC) and Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) are infectious pathogens that havebeen implicated in food and waterborne diseases in human all the world. The aim of this study was to determine theincidence and evaluate antibiotic resistance patterns of STEC and ETEC strains.Methods: In total 125 frozen foods of animal origin and 466 rectal swabs from children with acute diarrhea were takento isolate and identify E. coli strains based on standard procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests for E. coli strainswere performed according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute. Resistance to two or more classes of antimicrobialsin STEC and ETEC strains was recorded.Results: A total of 87 strains of E. coli strains were detected from 466 rectal swabs from children with acute diarrhea and40 strains of E. coli strains were detected from the 125 frozen food samples of animal origin.Test results indicated a 5.0% and 2.5% prevalence Shiga toxin (stx) and enterotoxin (estA) genes among E. coli strainsisolated from frozen foods of animal origin. Similarly, 5.7% and 4.5% prevalence of Shiga toxin (stx) and enterotoxin(estA) genes among E. coli strains isolated from children.Conclusion: We conclude that E. coli stains having Shiga toxin (stx), and enterotoxin (estA) genes considered not to bea potential source of infections for in Sanandaj; perhaps other enteric pathogens are the major cause of food-bornediseases. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2013; 3(1): 31-35Key words: E. coli, acute diarrhea, children, frozen food sample, stx and estA gene