_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: om.aladejana@kingsuniversity.edu.ng, toyinlesanmi@yahoo.co.uk; Journal of Advances in Microbiology 22(2): 37-48, 2022; Article no.JAMB.62336 ISSN: 2456-7116 Molecular Characterization of Resistance and Virulence Genes in Escherichia coli Isolated from Bats (Eidolon helvum) Faeces in Osun State, Nigeria Aladejana, Oluwatoyin Modupe a* , Oluduro, Antonia Olufunke b , Thonda, Oluwakemi Abike a , Ogunlade Ayodele Oluwayemisi c and Famurewa, Oladiran a a Department of Biological Sciences, Microbiology Unit, Kings University, Odeomu, Osun State, Nigeria. b Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. c Department of Food Technology, Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Author AOM is the main researcher and carried out the field and laboratory work and wrote the manuscript. Author OAO helps in the design of the work and the isolation and antibiotics sensitivity test and also edited the manuscript. Author TOA helps in the laboratory in the area of molecular characterization and helps in the literature searches. Author OAY helps in the laboratory in the area of molecular characterization. Author FO edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/JAMB/2022/v22i230436 Open Peer Review History: This journal follows the Advanced Open Peer Review policy. Identity of the Reviewers, Editor(s) and additional Reviewers, peer review comments, different versions of the manuscript, comments of the editors, etc are available here: https://www.sdiarticle5.com/review-history/62336 Received 03 September 2020 Accepted 06 November 2020 Published 20 February 2022 ABSTRACT Escherichia coli is one of the primary intestinal commensal organisms found in endothermic animals and hence, it is widely disseminated in the environment. A total of 36 (10.68%) Escherichia coli was isolated from 101 faecal samples collected from straw coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) faeces from three different major cities (Ile-Ife, Osogbo and Ilesa) in Osun State, Nigeria. The E. coli isolates showed a higher percentage antibiotic resistance to augumentin (83.33%), followed by cefuroxime (69.44%), ceftazidime (55.55%), amoxicillin (38.88%), and Original Research Article