OCCURRENCE OF MULTI-DRUG RESISTANT Escherichia coli ISOLATED FROM URINE OF PATIENTS ATTENDING AHMAD SANI YARIMAN BAKURA SPECIALIST HOSPITAL, GUSAU

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli pose a significant global health burden, with Escherichia coli being the predominant uropathogen. This study investigated the occurrence and antibacterial resistance profiles of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli isolated from urine samples of patients attending Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau. A total of 60 urine specimens were collected. Pathogenic Escherichia coli was isolated and identified using standard microbiological methods, including culture on Nutrient Agar, Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB), and Nutrient Broth, followed by Gram staining and a comprehensive panel of biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed on Mueller-Hinton agar using six clinically relevant antibiotics: Amikacin, Chloramphenicol, Tigecycline, Meropenem, Ampicillin, and Erythromycin. Among the isolates, eleven Escherichia coli strains (E1, E5, E7, E18, E19, E24, E25, E26, E33, E40 and E54) demonstrated multi-drug resistance to Ampicillin, Meropenem, and Chloramphenicol, yielding a lower Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR) Index of 0.5. Three isolates (E32, E56 and E58) exhibited resistance to Amikacin, Ampicillin, Meropenem, Chloramphenicol, and Erythromycin, resulting in a highest multi-drug resistance (MDR) Index of 0.8. These findings highlight the significant prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli in this hospital setting, particularly resistance to critical last-resort antibiotics like Meropenem and Tigecycline. Also, resistance to potent antibiotic like Amikacin which are reserved antibiotics often use in the treatments of serious infections. The research underscores the critical importance of implementing robust surveillance, strict infection control strategies, and effective antimicrobial stewardship programs to limit the spread of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli and to promote the development of alternative treatment approaches to address this escalating threat of antibiotic resistance.