A Systematic Review on the Occurrence of Antimicrobial‐Resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Poultry and Poultry Environments in Bangladesh between 2010 and 2021

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant public health issue in Bangladesh like many other developing countries where data on resistance trends are scarce. Moreover, the existence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) <i>Escherichia coli</i> exerts an ominous effect on the poultry sector. Therefore, the current systematic review, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, was conducted to find out the AMR scenarios in <i>E. coli</i> isolates sourced from poultry and poultry environments in Bangladesh between 2010 and 2021. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a total of 17 published scientific articles were selected for this systematic review. This review revealed that 18 out of 64 districts in Bangladesh reported <i>E. coli</i> in poultry, having a higher prevalence (combined prevalence: 69.3%, 95% confidence interval, CI: 67.3-71%). Moreover, the prevalence ranged from 24.3% to 100%. This review found that <i>E. coli</i> isolates showed resistance to 14 antimicrobial classes and 45 different antimicrobial agents, including the last-line (reserve group) antibiotics and banned antimicrobial categories for the treatment of infections in agricultural animals. Phenotypic resistance of <i>E. coli</i> against penicillins and beta-lactamase inhibitors (20.2%-100%), cephalosporins (1.9%-100%), fluoroquinolones (5.98%-100%), aminoglycosides (6%-100%), tetracyclines (17.7%-100%), carbapenems (13.6%-72.7%), macrolides (11.8%-100%), polymyxins (7.9%-100%), phenicols (20%-97.2%), sulfa drugs (44.7%-100%), cephamycins (21.4%-48.8%), nitrofurans (21.4%-63.2%), monobactams (1.2%), and glycylcyclines (2.3%) was recorded in the last decades in Bangladesh. Also, 14 articles reported MDR <i>E. coli</i> in poultry, including a 100% MDR in nine articles and a 92.7% (95% CI: 91.2-94%) combined percentage of MDR <i>E. coli</i> isolates. Twenty-four different AMR genes encoding resistance to beta-lactams (<i>bla</i> _TEM, <i>bla</i> _CTX-M-1, <i>bla</i> _CTX-M-2, <i>bla</i> _CTX-M-9, <i>bla</i> _OXA-1, <i>bla</i> _OXA-47, <i>bla</i> _SHV, and <i>CITM</i>), colistin (<i>mcr1</i> and <i>mcr3</i>), fluoroquinolones (<i>qnrB</i> and <i>qnrS</i>), tetracyclines (<i>tetA</i>, <i>tetB</i>, and <i>tetC</i>), sulfonamides (<i>sulI</i> and <i>sulII</i>), trimethoprim (<i>dfrA1</i>), aminoglycosides (<i>rmtB</i>), streptomycin (<i>aadA1</i>), gentamicin (<i>aac-3-IV</i>), erythromycin (<i>ereA</i>), and chloramphenicol (<i>catA1</i> and <i>cmlA</i>) were detected in <i>E. coli</i> isolates. The presence of MDR <i>E. coli</i> and their corresponding resistance genes in poultry and poultry environments is an alarming issue for all health communities in Bangladesh. We suggest a regular antimicrobial surveillance program with a strong One Health approach to lessen the hazardous effects of AMR <i>E. coli</i> in poultry industries in Bangladesh.