| Summary: | <i>Escherichia coli</i> with multidrug resistance and β-lactamase genes may constitute a great public health hazard due to the potential for their transmission to humans through the food chain. This study determined the prevalence, antibiotic resistance profiles, phylogroups, and β-lactamase genes of <i>E. coli</i> isolates from chicken carcasses marketed in Mansoura, Egypt. Interestingly, <i>E. coli</i> was detected in 98% (98/100) of the chicken carcasses examined, which seemed among the highest contamination rates by <i>E. coli</i> worldwide. From the 425 genetically verified <i>uidA</i> gene-positive <i>E</i>. <i>coli</i>, 85 isolates were further studied for antimicrobial resistance profiles, phylogroups, and β-lactamase genes. Interestingly, 89.41% of <i>E. coli</i> (76/85) strains tested against 24 different antibiotics were multidrug-resistant. Of the examined 85 <i>E. coli</i> isolates, 22 (25.88%) isolates harbored <i>bla<sub>CTX-M</sub></i> and were resistant to ampicillin, cefazoline, and ceftriaxone, while three of them were resistant to ceftazidime besides. Nine (10.59%) <i>E. coli</i> strains harbored AmpC- β-lactamase <i>bla<sub>CMY</sub></i> and were resistant to ampicillin. One isolate co-carried <i>bla<sub>CMY</sub></i> and <i>bla<sub>CTX-M</sub></i> genes, though it was negative for the <i>bla<sub>TEM</sub></i> gene. Of the 35 isolates that harbored either extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and/or AmpC β-lactamase genes, six strains (17.14%) were assigned to pathogenic phylogroup F and one to phylogroup E, whereas 28 (80%) isolates belonged to commensal phylogenetic groups.
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