Aim: This study aimed to screen and characterize colistin-resistant strains isolated from different livestock species in Algeria, including sheep, goats, and dromedaries.
Methods and results: A total of 197 rectal and nasal swabs were screened for colistin-resistant Gram-negative bacilli. Twenty one isolates were selected, identified, and their antibiotic resistance was phenotypically and genotypically characterized. The majority (15/21) were affiliated to Escherichia coli, from which 4 strains isolated from sheep (n = 2) and goats (n = 2) and belonging to phylogroup A and ST10 and ST6396 lineages, respectively, carried the mcr-1 gene. The remaining isolates were identified as belonging to the following genera: Raoultella, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas.
Conclusion: This study highlights the presence of virulent and multiresistant Gram-negative bacilli in farm animals, increasing the risk of transmitting potentially fatal infections to humans.
Keywords: E. coli; mcr-1; Algeria; antimicrobial resistance; colistin; farm animals.
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International.