A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Proportion and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from Different Human Foods in Ethiopia

Background: Escherichia coli O157: H7 is shiga toxinproducing Escherichia coli which is recognized as an important cause of diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome worldwide. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the burden of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and its antibiotic resistance pattern in different foods in Ethiopia. Methods: The literature search was conducted to identify all published articles reporting the proportion and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in foods. From all screened articles, 21 studies were eligible for i¬A‚nal systematic review and meta-analysis. Statistical analysis was done by using STATA14 software. Results: The pooled proportion of Escherichia coli O157:H7 is 0.05 (95% CI, 0.04 to 0.07%). Moreover, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains were found to be highly resistant to Chloramphenicol, Tetracycline, Erythromycin and Streptomycin, with a pooled resistance ratio of 79.72, 63.44, 52.65, and 50.77%, respectively. On the other hand, comparably low levels of resistance ratio were noted to Nitrofurantoin 7.54% and Norfloxacin 9.72%. Conclusion: The overall burden of Escherichia coli O157:H7 is low. However, it indicates the probability of food contamination by Escherichia coli O157:H7. And, E. coli O157:H7 showed resistance to Chloramphenicol, Tetracycline, Erythromycin and Streptomycin.