First Detection of Virulence Factors in Escherichia coli Isolated from Urogenital Tract and Correlation with Antimicrobial Resistance at the National Public Health Laboratory, Brazzaville

Escherichia coli is the most frequently isolated pathogen of urogenital infections. Its virulence gives it the ability to evade host defences and develop resistance to antibiotics. The aim of this work is to detect virulence factors and correlate them with antibiotic resistance. The virulence genes were detected by multiplex PCR. Susceptibility to antibiotics was tested by diffusion of agar discs. Of the 102 isolated strains, 43.14% had at least one of the three virulence factors tested. The sfa/foc gene was the most predominant, with a rate of 59.10%. The antibiotic susceptibility test showed the overall resistance of the strains tested, ranging from 20 to 80%. The correlation between antibiotic resistance and the expression of virulence factors showed that strains carrying the afa and sfa/foc genes were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid at rates of 83.3% and 61.5%, respectively; strains carrying the pap gene were 95% resistant to imipenem. Statistically significant P values were obtained, respectively, 0.001 for sfa/foc, 0.034 for afa, and 0.000 for pap. Other statistically significant results were also obtained. These factor detection rates and their antibiotic resistance profiles should lead us to question the hygiene measures to be taken to avoid contamination of the urogenital tract by these factors.