High prevalence of antibiotic-resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i> harbouring extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) in raw chicken meat sold at retail in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Chicken is the most widely consumed meat in Malaysia as it is abundant, provides good nutrient and taste, and available at an affordable price. However, it is known to harbour various foodborne pathogens including faecal microorganism, Escherichia coli. There are various routes and factors that can cause contamination of E. coli in chicken. Furthermore, numerous reports have shown that over the past decades, the trends of antimicrobial resistance among foodborne pathogens have been increasing rapidly. Therefore, the present work aimed to assess the prevalence of E. coli contamination by examining various contributing factors and its antibiotic resistance in raw chicken meat sold in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Results showed that 74% of the samples were contaminated with E. coli with wet markets showing higher prevalence (17%) of E. coli than in hypermarkets. Univariate analysis within the same risk factor showed that packaging process, storage temperature, and antibiotics had significant effects on the prevalence of E. coli (∼ 6.097 log CFU/g). The E. coli loads were significantly influenced by market type and storage temperature as validated by Mann-Whitney tests. All E. coli isolates displayed multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index ranging from 0.33 to 1.00, and 35 E. coli isolates showed the highest MAR index (1.00), being resistant to 12 antibiotics. Furthermore, 90% of E. coli isolates contained extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genotypes that can subvert potent antibiotic, beta-lactam. The findings from the present work would help reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses by identifying the risk factors associated with E. coli prevalence in chicken and provide the basis to revise guidelines on antibiotic use in livestock to reduce antimicrobial resistance.