Antibiotic resistance in toxigenic E. coli: a severe threat to global health

This review paper potentially highlights the dreadful consequences occurring due to antibiotic resistance among toxigenic E. coli isolates, responsible for causing wide variety of intestinal and extraintestinal infections. An extensive search was conducted using Google Scholar and PubMed for relevant articles using the keywords antibiotic resistance in toxigenic E. coli, zoonotic transmission of toxigenic E. coli, disease burden due to toxigenic E. coli along with novel approaches for combating toxigenic E. coli infections. The result yielded numerous articles based on which our review paper has been compiled. The burden of toxigenic E. coli infections occurring globally has not been properly studied in most literatures. Moreover, the development of antibiotic resistance has even worsened the scenario further. Due to antibiotic resistance, even non-pathogenic Escherichia coli strains have now turned pathogenic. This increasing trend of commensal gut bacterium of the body turning hostile due to antibiotic resistance needs to be properly addressed. Toxigenic E. coli have now become underappreciated” killers” since the infections caused due to them are becoming difficult to treat due to antibiotic resistance, thereby causing impactive mortality. Our review article shall focus on all these aspects of antibiotic resistance development in toxigenic E. coli along with its remediation strategies.