Fresh cheese is one of the most consumed products of the dairy industry in México. This study aimed to determine the frequency, antimicrobial resistance, and genetic characteristics of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in fresh cheese. From fresh cheese samples, E. coli was isolated and the production of ESBL, the antibiotic resistance patterns, the frequency of resistance genes, and the genetic relationship were analyzed. Sixty ESBL-producing E. coli belonging to phylogenetic groups A, C, and B1 were isolated and were highly resistant to the beta-lactam antibiotics, tetracycline, streptomycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The bla CTX-M gene was detected in all isolates, either alone or in combination with bla TEM and bla SHV . Similarly, a high frequency of resistance genes tetA, strA, and strB and class 1 integrons were found. According to their ERIC-PCR fingerprints, the E. coli were clustered into eight groups. In conclusion, a high frequency of ESBL-producing, genetically diverse, and multidrug-resistant E. coli was found in fresh cheese. The presence of ESBL-producing E. coli in fresh cheese constitutes a public health issue because these bacteria may be pathogenic or contribute to the dissemination of resistance genes to other pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria.
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