Whole-Genome Analysis of Escherichia coli Isolated from Milk and Meat Samples in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Globally, meat and animal-derived products face significant safety risks from chemical contaminants and infectious pathogens, especially Escherichia coli (E. coli). This study employed whole-genome analysis to investigate the genomic diversity and identify genes associated with antimicrobial resistance and virulence in E. coli strains isolated from raw milk, milk products, and meat samples in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. A total of 197 food samples were processed. E. coli was identified via MALDI-TOF, followed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Genomic DNA was extracted from twenty-seven multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates, followed by library preparation and whole-genome sequencing.