Prevalence and characterization of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in healthy pregnant women and hospital environments in Benin: an approach based on Tricycle.

This study provides insights into the prevalence of ESBL-producing carriage in the feces of healthy pregnant women in southern Benin. Additionally, it highlights hospital wastewater as a potential reservoir of ESBL-producing bacteria in the environment. The detection of ESBL-producing in hospital effluents raises concerns about the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes into the environment. The high resistance rates observed among ESBL- isolates against commonly used antibiotics emphasize the urgent need for antimicrobial stewardship and infection control measures. The identification of prevalent ESBL-encoding genes contributes to understanding the genetic basis of ESBL resistance in the studied population. Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms of transmission and potential interventions to mitigate the spread of ESBL-producing Enterobacterales.