Antimicrobial Resistant E. coli in Children and Soil from a South African Village

A 2026 case study from Lwamondo village, South Africa, investigates antimicrobial resistance in E. coli using a One Health approach. The research analyzes 47 paired stool and soil samples, yielding 117 and 94 E. coli isolates respectively, with phenotypic and genotypic resistance testing. Authored by Solanka Ellen Ledwaba, the dataset is a published PDF report.

Use Cases

• Analyze phenotypic resistance percentages (e.g., 27-56% β-lactam resistance in under-3 children) against antibiotic types like chloramphenicol and amoxicillin.
• Study the prevalence of specific resistance genes, such as blaTEM, across sample sources (36% in stool, 26% in soil).
• Examine phylogenetic group distribution (e.g., Group A) of AMR E. coli isolates from paired human-environment samples.
• Compare antibiotic detection frequencies between stool (41% chloramphenicol) and soil (50% chloramphenicol) reservoirs.

Strengths

• Provides paired human (stool) and environmental (soil) samples from 47 individuals, enabling direct comparison.
• Reports specific, quantified resistance percentages for multiple antibiotics and the blaTEM gene across two sample types.
• Study employs confirmed laboratory methods including PCR for isolate confirmation and resistance gene detection.

Limitations

• Very small sample size of 47 paired samples from a single village, limiting statistical power and generalizability.
• Dataset is a static 316.2 KB PDF report; raw isolate-level data (e.g., strain metadata, full test results) is not provided as a structured table.
• Findings are geographically restricted to Lwamondo village, South Africa, and a specific demographic (children under 5).

Provenance

Source

Figshare, authored by Solanka Ellen Ledwaba.

Collection Method

Microbiological analysis of 47 paired stool and soil samples from children under 5, involving E. coli isolation, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and PCR for resistance genes.

Time Range

Study period not specified; publication date is 2026.

Freshness

Published in April 2026, representing recent research.

Geography

Lwamondo village, a rural community in South Africa.