Assessment of Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli is the most common cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and has shown increasing resistance to widely used antibiotics. Resistance assessment is crucial for guiding clinical therapies and public health measures. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 30 E. coli isolates obtained from urine samples of patients attending clinics. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed against 10 commonly prescribed antibiotics using the disk diffusion test. High resistance was detected to azithromycin and fusidic acid (70% each) and to amoxicillin (66.6%). Cefotaxime (30%) and amikacin (50%) showed significant resistance. Ciprofloxacin (16.6%), levofloxacin and ceftriaxone (13.3% each), and meropenem (3.3%) showed lower levels of resistance. The most sensitive antibiotics were levofloxacin (86.7%), ceftriaxone (86.7%), and meropenem (96.7%). E. coli isolates exhibited considerable resistance to several commonly used antibiotics, particularly azithromycin, fusidic acid, and amoxicillin. However, meropenem and third-generation cephalosporins retained strong activity. These findings underscore the importance of ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance and rational antibiotic prescribing to maintain treatment efficacy.