Occurrence of EBSL and quinolone resistance genes among Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from poultry, domestic pigs and environment in the Msimbazi River Basin in Tanzania

Background: The Enterobacteriaceae family particularly Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae that are resistant to both quinolones and beta lactams occur worldwide, causing wide spread infections that are difficult to treat. We investigated occurrence and distribution of genes encoding for extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) production and quinolone resistance among multi-drug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from poultry, domestic pigs and environment samples in the Msimbazi basin in Tanzania. Methods: : A total of 110 non- duplicated isolates obtained from the poultry (n = 30), domestic pigs (n = 42) and environment (n = 39) were screened for ESBLs genes (CTX-M, TEM, and SHV) and plasmid mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes ( qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, qnrC, qnrD, qepA , and aac(6)-Ib-cr ) using polymerise chain reaction (PCR). Results: : The most commonly detected ESBL genes were blaCTX-M (31.5%, n=41) and blaTEM (10%, n=13), while quinolone resistance genes were qnrS (27.7%, n=36), qnrB (6.9%, n=9) and aac (6)-lb-cr (5.4%, n=7). ESBL gene blaSHV and quinolone resistance genes qnrA , qnrC and qepA were not detected in any of the isolates. Resistance genes were highest in isolates from the environmental samples (86%, n=33), followed by poultry 72.5% (n=29), and domestic pigs 21.4%, (n=9). Overall, the most frequent resistance gene was qnrS , followed by blaCTX-M and blaTEM . About 17.7% (n=23) of the isolates depicted co-existence of ESBL and quinolone resistance genes. Conclusion: One Health interventional measures, involving different disciplines across human, animal and environmental sectors, are needed to control the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the Msimbazi River Basin in Tanzania.