Background and Aim: Slaughterhouses and their effluents could serve as a "hotspot" for the occurrence and distribution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. This study aimed to understand the distribution of tetracycline resistance genes in Escherichia coli isolated from the floor surface and effluent samples of pig slaughterhouses in Banten Province, Indonesia.

Materials and Methods: Ten samples, each from floor surface swabs and effluents, were collected from 10 pig slaughterhouses in Banten Province. Escherichia coli strains were isolated and identified by referring to the protocol of the Global Tricycle Surveillance extended-spectrum beta-lactamase E. coli from the WHO (2021). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the tet genes.

Results: The tetA, tetB, tetC, tetM, tetO, and tetX genes were distributed in the isolates from the floor surface samples, and the tetA, tetC, tetE, tetM, tetO, and tetX genes were distributed in the isolates from the effluent samples. The tetO gene (60%) was the most dominant gene in the isolates from floor surface samples, while the tetA gene was the dominant one in the isolates from the effluent samples (50%). The tetA + tetO gene combination was the dominant pattern (15%) in the E. coli isolates.

Conclusion: The high prevalence and diversity of the tet genes in floor surface and effluent samples from pig slaughterhouses in Banten Province indicated that the transmission of the tet genes had occurred from pigs to the environment; thus, this situation should be considered a serious threat to public health.

Keywords: effluent, Escherichia coli, pig slaughterhouse, tet gene, tetracycline resistance.