The present work aimed to isolate and characterize E. coli bacteria that transmitted from fish to fish
handlers in markets and farm workers, for this 200 apparently healthy Oreochromis niloticus were
collected randomly from different markets and farms and 50 human skin swabs from sellers at
markets and workers at farms were obtained at Kafr El-sheikh governorate, Egypt. These samples
were cultured and biochemical characters was studied. Serological identification, antibiogram
activity and molecular characterization of some virulence factors were detected. Results, the
prevalence of Escherichia coli was 17.5% in Tilapia while its prevalence in human was 24%.
Escherichia coli serotypes from fish were O₁₅₃ :H₂, O₁ :H₇, O₁₂₅ :H₂₁ and O₇₈. Only one from four
isolates of Escherichia coli was positive to eaeA gene and the four isolates were negative to hly
gene.