{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T12:14:20Z","timestamp":1781180060183,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,4]],"date-time":"2025-12-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764806400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n \n The increasing emergence of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR)\n Escherichia coli<\/jats:italic>\n in poultry represents significant public health concern due to the risk of zoonotic transmission via the food chain. This study investigates the prevalence and resistance patterns of\n E. coli<\/jats:italic>\n isolated from healthy broiler and indigenous chickens in Kifri City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n A total of 200 cloacal swab samples were collected from healthy chickens (100 broilers and 100 indigenous). Standard bacteriological methods were used for\n E. coli<\/jats:italic>\n isolation, followed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing against ten antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Additionally, molecular detection of resistance genes was performed via PCR.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n The overall isolation rate of\n E. coli<\/jats:italic>\n was 60%. Broiler isolates exhibited significantly higher resistance rates, including 100% resistance to ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin, and >90% resistance to amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, norfloxacin, and nitrofurantoin. In contrast, indigenous chicken isolates showed lower resistance, with the highest rates seen for amoxicillin-clavulanate (90%) and nitrofurantoin (85%). PCR analysis identified the presence of key resistance genes including\n blaTEM<\/jats:italic>\n ,\n qnrS<\/jats:italic>\n , and\n sul1<\/jats:italic>\n among multidrug-resistant isolates. Statistically significant differences (p\u2009<\u20090.05) were observed in resistance profiles between broiler and indigenous groups.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n \n The high prevalence of multidrug-resistant\n E. coli<\/jats:italic>\n in broiler chickens underscores the urgent need for stricter antibiotic stewardship in poultry farming. The findings support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 15 (Life on Land) by promoting antimicrobial surveillance and sustainable livestock management.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0337055","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,4]],"date-time":"2025-12-04T18:51:29Z","timestamp":1764874289000},"page":"e0337055","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from healthy chicken droppings"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5899-2047","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Ali M.","family":"Hussein","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ali J.","family":"Muhialdin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0905-2846","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Rahman K.","family":"Faraj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0337055.ref001","volume-title":"Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) Report 2022","author":"World Health Organization WHO","year":"2022"},{"issue":"15","key":"pone.0337055.ref002","first-page":"5571","article-title":"Antibiotic use in food animals worldwide, with a focus on Africa: plasmid-mediated resistance and implications for public health","volume":"17","author":"TTH Van","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0337055.ref003","first-page":"210","article-title":"Antimicrobial resistance in poultry production systems: a review","volume":"12","author":"A Al Meslamani","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Vet Sci Res"},{"key":"pone.0337055.ref004","first-page":"664923","article-title":"Escherichia coli and antimicrobial resistance in poultry","volume":"12","author":"M Giufr\u00e8","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Microbiol"},{"key":"pone.0337055.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1406854","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2024.1406854","article-title":"Persistence of commensal multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli in the broiler production pyramid is best explained by strain recirculation from the rearing environment","volume":"15","author":"SO Leclercq","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Microbiol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0337055.ref006","first-page":"234","article-title":"Escherichia coli resistance mechanisms and epidemiology","volume":"11","author":"G Mancuso","year":"2023","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0337055.ref007","first-page":"952","article-title":"Molecular characterization of \u03b2-lactamase-producing E. coli isolates from poultry","volume":"13","author":"MI Radwan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Vet World"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0337055.ref008","first-page":"456","article-title":"Plasmid-mediated antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli from animals","volume":"11","author":"R Urban-Chmiel","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pathogens"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0337055.ref009","first-page":"6573","article-title":"Antimicrobial resistance in poultry production: impacts on human health","volume":"99","author":"HD Hedman","year":"2020","journal-title":"Poult Sci"},{"key":"pone.0337055.ref010","volume-title":"Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing","author":"Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)","year":"2022","edition":"32"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0337055.ref011","first-page":"533","article-title":"Multiplex PCR for detection of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance qnr genes in Enterobacteriaceae","volume":"51","author":"V Cattoir","year":"2007","journal-title":"Antimicrob Agents Chemother"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0337055.ref012","first-page":"1153","article-title":"Dissemination of sulfonamide resistance genes among Enterobacteriaceae in Portuguese hospitals","volume":"49","author":"P Antunes","year":"2005","journal-title":"Antimicrob Agents Chemother"},{"key":"pone.0337055.ref013","first-page":"2505","article-title":"Antimicrobial resistance in poultry in developing countries: a systematic review","volume":"16","author":"M Haque","year":"2023","journal-title":"Infect Drug Resist"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0337055","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,4]],"date-time":"2025-12-04T18:51:33Z","timestamp":1764874293000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0337055"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Ghadeer Sabah","family":"Bustani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,4]]},"references-count":13,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,4]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0337055","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,4]]}}}