the occurrences of e. coli strains with multi-drug resistance profiles and virulence genes from poultry slaughterhouse waste in abidjan (côte d'ivoire)

Background and objectives: poultry production generates huge quantities of waste, mainly from slaughterhouses, which can be major reservoirs of pathogenic microorganisms. escherichia coli is of particular concern due to its ability to acquire antibiotic resistance and virulence factors. this study aimed to characterise e. coli contamination in poultry slaughterhouse waste from ten municipalities in the district of abidjan (côte d'ivoire).materials and methods: e. coli strains were isolated from poultry slaughterhouse waste and identified using morphological and biochemical methods. antibiotic susceptibility was assessed by the disk diffusion method, and virulence genes, including eae and stx1, were detected using a duplex pcr assay.results: between january and april 2023, waste samples were collected, and e. coli strains were isolated and identified. of 90 isolates, high resistance rates were observed against β-lactams (88.88%), aminoglycosides (77%), and fluoroquinolones (88.87%). mdr was detected in 11.11% of isolates, while 20% produced esbl. the eae and stx1 genes were detected in 14.47 and 6.57% of isolates, respectively.conclusion: these results highlight significant antimicrobial resistance and virulence potential in e. coli from poultry slaughterhouse waste, underscoring the need to improve management strategies.