Emergence of virulent ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in meat with human health implications and control using liposomal cinnamon, oregano, and clove within a One Health framework

Transmission of extended-spectrum β-lactamases-producing (ESBL) Escherichia coli from meat and meat by-products to humans has emerged as a major public health issue, requiring a One Health framework to address this menace. Hence, we investigated the phylotypes, antimicrobial resistance profiles, and virulotypes of E. coli isolates from chicken meat, beef burger, and human stool samples, besides investigating the in vitro antimicrobial and antivirulence efficacies of liposomal cinnamon, oregano, and clove essential oils (LCOC). A total of 90 isolates (28.1%) were phenotypically and molecularly identified as E. coli, and they were classified into four phylogenetic groups: B1, B2, A, and D (40, 35.6, 14.4, and 10%, respectively). The majority of the isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) (97.8%), with remarkable resistance against ampicillin, tetracycline, and cefotaxime (95.6, 84.4, and 81.1%, respectively). The blaTEM, tetA, aadA1, and blaCTX-M were the most prevalent resistance genes (96.7, 85.6, 81.1, and 81.1%, respectively). Virulotyping revealed that 70% of the isolates were multi-virulent, with iroN being the most prevalent one (92.2%). LCOC demonstrated in vitro antibacterial and antivirulence properties via inhibiting the growth of MDR, multi-virulent, and ESBL meat E. coli isolates and downregulating the expression of their investigated virulence genes. Concisely, the observed 28.1% prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli indicates a notable public health concern associated with meat contamination. Our findings demonstrate that LCOC exhibited antimicrobial activity against the tested E. coli isolates and may help reduce their antibiotic resistance and virulence potential.