Prevalence of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli in foods and food-producing animals through the food chain

Abstract

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize the available scientific evidence on the prevalence of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli strains isolated from foods and food-producing animals as well as the impact of the associated variables. A systematic review was carried out in databases, according to selection criteria and search strategies established a priori. Random‐effect meta‐analysis models were fitted to estimate the prevalence of colistin-resistant E. coli and to identify the factors associated with the outcome. In general, 5.70% (95% CI: 4.97%-6.52%) of the E. coli strains isolated from food and food-producing animal samples presented colistin resistance. While 4.79% (95% CI: 3.98%-5.76%) of the food and food-producing animal samples were contaminated with colistin-resistant E. coli. These prevalence increased over time (P <0.001). On the other hand, 65.30% (95% CI: 57.77%-72.14%) of colistin-resistant E. coli was mediated by the mcr-1 gene. The mcr-1 gene prevalence did not show increases over time (P= 0.640). According to the findings, other allelic variants (mcr 2-10 genes) seem to have less impact. A higher prevalence of colistin resistance was estimated in developing countries (P< 0.001), especially in matrices derived from poultry and pigs (P< 0.001). The mcr-1 gene showed a globally distributed with high prevalence in most of the regions analyzed (>50%). The prevalence of colistin-resistant E. coli and mcr-1 gene has a strong impact on the entire food chain. Particularly, high prevalence in the retail market represents a potential risk for consumers' health. It is urgent to implement based-evidence risk management measures, under the One Health approach to guarantee public health, food safety, and a sustainable future.