Emergence of mcr-1 plasmid-mediated colistin-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from seawater.

Colistin is currently regarded as one of the 'last-resort' antibiotics used for the treatment of critical infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. Recently, there have been numerous reports of the emergence of a transferable plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene, mcr-1 in patients, animals, food, and environment. Here, we characterize the support of colistin resistance among environmental isolates collected from seawater of Algiers coast.