Shrimp as a passive reservoir for multidrug-resistant Escherichia ‎coli

Khosravi, Farshid; Jajarmi, Maziar; Ganbarpour, Reza; Bagheri, Mahboube

doi:10.30473/eab.2025.74386.1992

Document Type : Article

Authors

¹ Department of Pathobiology, Faculty ‎of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid ‎Bahonar University of Kerman, ‎Kerman, Iran‎

² Molecular Microbiology Research ‎Group, Shahid Bahonar University of ‎Kerman, Kerman, Iran‎

³ Department of Food Science and ‎Technology, Bardsir Faculty of ‎Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar ‎University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran‎

10.30473/eab.2025.74386.1992

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most significant global threats. The inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics in humans and animals plays a major role in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Among food-producing animal industries, aquaculture is rapidly growing and plays a substantial role in global animal protein supply. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential reservoir role of shrimp for antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in Kerman city, Iran. A total of 267 healthy shrimp samples were collected over six months from five retail seafood markets. E. coli isolates were identified using conventional culture methods and biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method. Out of the 267 shrimp samples, 177 (66.29%) were positive for E. coli. Among these isolates, the highest resistance rates were observed against florfenicol (53.7%), streptomycin (51.9%), and kanamycin (42.3%). Overall, 89.8% of the isolates (159/177) were resistant to at least one antibiotic, and 28.24% (50/177) were identified as multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates. Additionally, 66.7% of the isolates (118/177) exhibited a Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index greater than 0.2, suggesting a potential origin from shrimp farms with high antibiotic usage. These findings highlight the role of shrimp as a passive reservoir for MDR E. coli in the human food chain and underscore the urgent need for stricter antibiotic usage policies and monitoring programs in aquaculture.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Microbiology

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Experimental animal Biology

Shrimp as a passive reservoir for multidrug-resistant Escherichia ‎coli

References

References

Volume 13, Issue 4 - Serial Number 52
October 2025
Pages 29-40

Shrimp as a passive reservoir for multidrug-resistant Escherichia ‎coli

References

References

Volume 13, Issue 4 - Serial Number 52October 2025Pages 29-40

Volume 13, Issue 4 - Serial Number 52
October 2025
Pages 29-40