Nkene, I.H.Ngwai, Y.B.Bassey, E.B.Abimiku, R.H.Ibrahim, T.Ibrahim, Y.2023-12-142023-12-142020-05-131. Azeez, D.A., Findik, D., Dagi, H.T. and Arslan, U. (2018). Plasmid-mediated fluoroquinolones resistance in clinical isolates Escherichia coli in Konya, Turkey.Cukurova Medical Journal, 43(2):295-300. 2. Abimiku, R.H., Ngwai, Y.B., Nkene, I.H., Tatfeng, Y. M. (2016). Molecular detection of diarrheagenicpathotypes of Escherichiacoli from diarrheic patients in Keffi, Nigeria. Microbioz Journal of Microbiology and Biomedical Research, 2(3): 1-6. 3. Bouchakour, M., Zerouali, K., Claude, J.D.P.G., Amarouch, H., El Mdaghri, N., Courvalin, P. and Timinouni, M. (2010). Plasmidmediated quinolone resistance in expanded-spectrum beta lactamase producing enterobacteriaceae in Morocco.The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 4(12):799–803. 4. Cattoir, V., Poirel, L., Rotimi, V., Soussy, C.J. andNordmann, P. (2007). Multiplex PCR for detection of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance qnr genes in ESBL-producing enterobacterial isolates. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 60(2):394-397. 5. Chen, Y.H., Ko, W.C. and Hsueh, P.R. (2012). The role of fluoroquinolones in the management of urinary tract infections in areas with high rates of fluoroquinolone-resistant uropathogens. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, 31:1699-1704. 6. Crémet, L., Caroff, N., Dauvergne, S., Reynaud, A., Lepelletier, D. andCorvec, S. (2011). Prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants in ESBL Enterobacteriaceae clinical isolates over a 1-year period in a French hospital. PathologieBiologie, 59(3):151–156. 7. El-bouamri, M.C., Arsalane, L., Zerouali, K., Katfy, K., El kamouni, Y. and Zouhair, S. (2015). Molecular characterization of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in a university hospital in Morocco, North Africa.African Journal of Urology, 21:161–166https://keffi.nsuk.edu.ng/handle/20.500.14448/5917Antibiotic treatment of urinary tract infections caused by Escherichia coli remain the mainstay of its control. Molecular characterization of E. coli with ciprofloxacin and extended-spectrum cephalosporins co-resistance from patients attending tertiary hospitals in Nasarawa State, Nigeria was investigated. Thirty-five isolates, 13 from Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia (DASHL) and 22 from Federal Medical Centre, Keffi (FMCK), were obtained from previous studies. Phenotypic detection of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production was by double disc synergy test. Genes for ESBL and plasmid-mediated quinolones resistance (PMQR) were detected using polymerase chain reaction. Molecular diversity of the isolates was analyzed using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). Out of 35 isolates, 18 (54.5%) were ESBL producers, with higher occurrence in DASHL (54.5%) than FMCK (46.2%). The ESBL genes blaSHV, blaCTX-M and blaTEM were detected in both hospitals, with highest occurrence of 83.3% each for blaSHV and blaCTX-M in FMCK; and 66.7% for blaTEM in DASHL. The PMQR genes acc (6ʹ)-Ib-cr oqxAB, qnrB and qnrS were present in FCMK; but only qnrS was absent in DASHL. Occurrence of acc (6ʹ)-Ib-cr was highest (100.0%) in FMCK; while qnrB was highest (75.0%) in DASHL. The occurrence of strain A type isolates was higher in FMCK (100.0) than DASHL (83.33%), while no strain B type isolate in FCMK. The ESBL (blaSHV, blaCTX-M and blaTEM) and PMQR (acc (6ʹ)-Ib-cr oqxAB, qnrB and qnrS) genes were detected in the isolates. The most common circulating strain in both DASHL and FMCK was strain A, with no strain B in FCMK.enEscherichia coli, urine, ciprofloxacin, cephalosporins, extended spectrumArticle