Genomic Evaluation of Multidrug-Resistant Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> from Irrigation Water and Fresh Produce in South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

<i>Escherichia coli</i>, both commensal and pathogenic, can colonize plants and persist in various environments. It indicates fecal contamination in water and food and serves as a marker of antimicrobial resistance. In this context, 61 extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing <i>E. coli</i> from irrigation water and fresh produce from previous studies were characterized using whole genome sequencing (Illumina MiSeq). The Center for Genomic Epidemiology and Galaxy platforms were used to determine antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence genes, plasmid typing, mobile genetic elements, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and pathogenicity prediction. In total, 19 known MLST groups were detected among the 61 isolates. Phylogroup B1 (ST58) and Phylogroup E (ST9583) were the most common sequence types. The six ST10 (serotype O101:H9) isolates carried the most resistance genes, spanning eight antibiotic classes. Overall, 95.1% of the isolates carried resistance genes from three or more classes. The <i>bla</i>_CTX-M-1, <i>bla</i>_CTX-M-14, and <i>bla</i>_CTX-M-15 ESBL genes were associated with mobile genetic elements, and all of the <i>E. coli</i> isolates showed a >90% predicted probability of being a human pathogen. This study provided novel genomic information on environmental multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing <i>E. coli</i> from fresh produce and irrigation water, highlighting the environment as a reservoir for multidrug-resistant strains and emphasizing the need for ongoing pathogen surveillance within a One Health context.