Table 2.
Association between resistance to quinolones and presence of virulence factors coding genes in integron-bearing E. coli strains isolated from a wastewater treatment plant (n = 109)
| Virulence gene | Virulence factor | Quinolone resistant | Fluroquinolone resistant | Susceptible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 (56.0%) | 55 (50.4%) | 34 (31.2%) | ||
| eae | Intimin | 1 (1.6%) | 0 | 2 (5.9%) |
| ST gene | ST toxin | 8 (13.1%) | 9 (16.4%) | 2 (5.9%) |
| stx1, stx2 | Shiga toxin | 2 (3.3%) | 2 (3.6%) | 4 (11.8%) |
| fyuA | Yersiniabactin | 21 (34.4%) | 15 (27.3%) | 6 (17.6%) |
| iutA | Aerobactin | 30 (49.2%)* | 28 (50.1%)* | 9 (26.5%)* |
| hlyA | Haemolysin A | 2 (3.3%) | 0 | 2 (5.9%) |
| papA | P fimbriae | 10 (16.4%) | 7 (12.8%) | 6 (17.6%) |
| sfaS | S fimbriae | 7 (11.5%) | 4 (7.3%)* | 9 (26.5%)* |
| focG | F1C fimbriae | 7 (11.5%) | 5 (9.1%) | 2 (5.9%) |
| cnf1 | CNF | 3 (4.9%) | 1 (1.8%) | 1 (2.9%) |
| VF score (mean) | 0–5 (1.53) | 0–4 (1.30) | 0–3 (1.24) | |
*Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05)