Abstract
Meat products (MPs) are among the most commonly consumed food items in Egypt, and may serve as a potential vehicle for transmission of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) to humans. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of E. coli and K. pneumoniae in MPs marketed in Sohag Governorate, Egypt, with a particular focus on extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producing and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), as well as to evaluate their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles. Therefore, a total of 150 MP samples (30 of each burger, kofta, luncheon, minced meat, and sausage) were randomly collected from the stores and supermarkets in Sohag Governorate and subjected to bacteriological examinations. E. coli and K. pneumoniae were detected in 10% and 4% of the samples, respectively. Among the isolates, 66.7% of both E. coli and K. pneumoniae were multi-drug resistant (MDR), and all the isolates had a multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index above 0.2. Moreover, 53.3% of E. coli and 33.3% of K. pneumoniae isolates were ESBL-producers, and demonstrated higher levels of co-resistance to non-β-lactam antibiotics, compared to non-ESBL-producers isolates. PCR analysis revealed the presence of resistance and virulence genes in the investigated E. coli isolates (n = 10), including bla(CTX-M), bla(TEM), dfrA, stx1, and stx2 genes, with 90%, 80%, 90%, 10%, and 20% prevalence, respectively. E. coli isolates carrying stx1 or stx2 gene were found as MDR and ESBL-producing isolates. The concordance between genotypic and phenotypic AMR ranged from 30% to 90% %, indicating varying degrees of correlation. The findings highlight the presence of MDR, ESBL-producing E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and STECs in retail MPs in Sohag Governorate, posing a potential risk to public health. These results underscore the urgent need for improved hygienic measures along the food production chain and stricter regulations on the use of antimicrobials in food animals.