Analysis of Multidrug-Resistance and Resistant Genes in Escherichia coli Isolates from Raw Beef: A Meta-Analysis

Beef is an excellent source of protein in the human diet; however, high production levels in the livestock industry expose meat products to a greater risk of contamination by bacteria such as Escherichia coli, a pathogen of great significance in public health due to its widespread distribution and multidrug-resistance (MDR). Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in E. coli isolated from raw beef through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 24 articles were selected for this study; in the phenotypic evaluation, 9356 observations were reported with a pooled prevalence ratio for AMR of 0.49. Additionally, 44 antibiotics were reported, with ampicillin (0.60), tetracycline (0.59), and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (0.51) having the highest frequency of use in the evaluation of the resistance profile of E. coli. Resistant genes showed a pooled prevalence ratio of 0.42; the bla (0.33), tet (0.42) and sul (0.48) genes were particularly notable for their association with AMR in the strains. The analyzed data on MDR provides valuable information for monitoring E. coli to help in the health management of this pathogen that affects human and animal health worldwide.