Characteristics of antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli strains in people suffering from gastroenteritis in the Republic of Guinea

This study aims to assess the spectrum of antibiotic resistance and to determine the antibiotic resistance genes of Escherichia coli strains isolated from patients suffering from diarrhea. It was carried out from 2019 to 2022, alternating between in-patients at Kindia Regional Hospital. A coproculture was performed, strains were identified using the API 20E kit and antibiograms were performed using the Kirby bauer method. PCR identified resistance genes. From 724 stool samples analyzed, 53 (7.32%) were positive for E. coli strains and 52 (98.1%) were resistant to antibiotics. The resistance of E. coli strains to β-lactams was 47 (88.7%) for ampicillin, 14 (26.4%) for III-IVth generation cephalosporins, 18 (34%) for quinolones (nalidixic acid), 1 (1.9%) for fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin), 35 (66%) for tetracycline, 38 (71.7%) for trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, 9 (17.0%) for gentamicin, 7 (13.2%) for tobramycin and 2 (3.8%) for chloramphenicol. However, of 15 antibiotics tested, no E. coli strains resistant to Meropenem, Amikacin, or Nitrofurantoin were detected. Analysis of genetic determinants revealed 22 antibiotic resistance genotypes. The most frequent resistance phenotype (AMP+TET+TSM) was identified in 24 (46.15%) of the strains.   Key words: Escherichia coli, antibiotic susceptibility, Kindia, whole genome sequencing.