Detection and Differentiation of Escherichia coli Populations from Human, Animal and Avian Feces, and Different Water Sources

Experiments were implemented to compare a total of 138 Escherichia coli isolates obtained from fecal samples collected from a range of mammals and birds, and from water samples of different origin. The project also evaluated the E. coli samples for a range of characteristics, including multiple antibiotic resistance to 21 different antibiotics, the protein profile of the isolates, the DNA fragments of each isolate following treatment with restriction enzymes (e.g., HindIII EcoRI, EcoRV, BamHI, and BglII), and the presence of plasmids. Data showed that human, horse, and Nile water isolates exhibited resistance to 62% of antibiotics tested. Resistance characteristics of other isolates are detailed.