Genetic basis of multiple drug resistant Escherichia coli from urine samples in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria

This study was aimed at characterizing bacteria at the molecular level and determining the genetic basis of the multidrug resistant bacteria isolates. Bacteria were isolated from eighty urine samples from urinary tract infection patients. Phenotypically identified isolates of Escherichia coli were selected. Multiple drug resistant (MDR) bacteria were generated from the isolates by carrying out antibiotic susceptibility tests using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. MDR bacteria were selected and molecular characterization using polymerase chain reaction technique with species-specific primers was performed for confirming microbial identity. Plasmid DNA profiling was carried out to detect MDR Escherichia coli with plasmid and subsequent plasmid curing of isolates. The polymerase chain reaction result showed that all twenty isolates were Escherichia coli, fourteen out of the twenty isolates were multiple drug resistant Escherichia coli. The gel electrophoresis indicated that eleven out of the fourteen multiple drug resistant Escherichia coli contains plasmids with a molecular weight of 48.5kb. The E. coli isolates that habors plasmid were cured of the plasmids and the results of the antibiotics sensitivity tests showed that E. coli that showed resistance before curing became sensitive after curing. This study has shown that multidrug resistant E. coli are plasmid mediated in this locality.