Assessment of antibiotic resistance profiles and pathogenic traits of Escherichia coli isolates in Dhaka city's municipal water supply

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Escherichia coli is a growing global threat, with significant public health implications. This study evaluated municipal household water in Dhaka North, Bangladesh, revealing fecal contamination in 78.26% of samples, and detecting E.coli in 76%. Total 20% isolates showed pathogenic genes, among them rbfE was prevalent. Molecular analysis identified CTX-M-15 as the most prevalent ESBL gene (54.29%) with the presence of other ESBL gene such as shv,tem and most prevalent carbapenem-resistant genes such as blaVIM in 19.12% of isolates. Multidrug resistance was observed in 34.2% of E.coli isolates and XDR observed in 5.8% isolates, complicating treatment options. These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced water treatment systems and routine monitoring to mitigate the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens in urban water supplies.