Background and Objectives: Escherichia coli (E. coli) is among the most frequently encountered bacterial pathogens in hospital-acquired infections.‌The only treatment for infections caused by E. coli is the use of various antibiotics. In recent years, E. coli has demonstrated extensive drug resistance, which is partly attributed to the presence of integrons in the genomes of these bacteria. This study aimed to assess the antibiotic resistance profiles and determine the prevalence of class 1, 2, and 3 integrons in Escherichia coli strains isolated from patients infected with the hospital in Zahedan.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study,‌ 200 E. coli separate were collected and, then confirmation of the isolates was performed using biochemical tests and ultimately an antibiogram. The presence of class I, II, and III integron genes was then investigated using specific primers and the PCR method.
Results: Out of 200 E. coli separate,‌170 strains were MDR, with the highest resistance observed to cefazolin (74.5%),‌cotrimoxazole (66.5%),‌ceftriaxone (66.5%),‌and ampicillin (63.5%).‌ The Int1 and Int2 genes were identified in 40% and 12% of the strains,‌respectively; however, the Int3 gene was not found in the studied strains.
Conclusion: The findings of this study reveal a relatively high level of antibiotic resistance among the E. coli isolates, which may be partly attributed to the increased prevalence of integrons. Consequently, restricting the indiscriminate use of antibiotics could help reduce the spread of resistance genes.