Presence of class I integrons in sscherichia coli isolated from meat products in Federal Inspection Type (TIF) plants in the Estado de Mexico

Meat foods are the main vehicle of foodborne diseases as a result of poor handling during processing. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and antibiotic resistance factors of Escherichia coli in TIF plants of the Estado de Mexico. For this, 3 Federal Inspection Type (TIF) plants in Mexico were analyzed, with n = 90 samples, 10 raw meat product (beef, pork and turkey meat), 10 finished meat product and 70 work tools. Eighteen (20%) E. coli strains were isolated (3 raw meat product, 2 finished meat products and 13 work tools (P > 0.05). The E. coli isolates showed high levels of resistance to ampicillin (88.8%), cephalothin (88.8%), carbenicillin (83.3%) and chloramphenicol (61.1%). There was a relationship bet - ween E. coli strains resistant to ampicillin and chloramphenicol and presence of resistance genes Pse-1 4/18 (22%) and floR 4/18 (22%). Five (55.5%) positive isolates to Pse-1 and flo R, also exhibit the Cs3 Cs5 genes for the class I integrons. The results indicate that antimicrobial resistance and genetic resistance factors are present in Escherichia coli isolated from food processing plants, suggesting that they can be transmitted to the intestine microbiota of human population by contamination and consumption of improperly processed products and become a risk factor for public health