Background: Extended Spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are enzymes produced by some bacteria that ŝnÄ‚cÆŸvĂƚĞ oxyimino-cephalosporins, a class of β-lactam Ä‚nÆŸbŝŽƟcƐ family. They are mainly encoded by the β-lactamase gene families TEM, SHV and CTX-M. The Enterobacteriaceae expressing these genes, in ƉĂrÆŸcƵůĂr Escherichia coli are widely expanded in the world with ĚŝīĞrÄžnÆš prevalence rate from one region to another. The ŽbÅ©ÄžcÆŸvÄž of this study, carried out from strains isolated at the NĂƟŽnĂů /nƐƟƚƵƚĞ of Hygiene (INH) in Togo, was to (i) detect and characterize the genes involving in the ƉrŽĚƵcƟŽn of β-lactamase among E. coli strains and (ii) evaluate their prevalence. Methodology: From May 2013 to July 2015, 91 E. coli strains resistant to third ŐĞnÄžrĂƟŽn cephalosporins (C3G) were collected from several specimens and analyzed for the ĚĞƚĞcƟŽn of β-lactamase resistance genes, blaTEM, blaSHV and blaCTX-M by simplex and mƵůƟƉůĞx PCR. Results: The E. coli strains resistant at least to one third ŐĞnÄžrĂƟŽn cephalosporin, were isolated from urine 58/91 (63.74%), vaginal samples 17/91 (17.68%), wound swabs 7/91 (7.69%), 4/91 semen samples (4.40%), urethral cƵrĞƩĂŐĞ CU 2/91 (2.20%), sputum 1/91 (1.1%), stool 1/91 (1.1%) and joint ŇƵŝĚ 1/91 (1.1%). Resistance to third ŐĞnÄžrĂƟŽn cephalosporins was associated with a resistance to quinolone (96.67%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (94.44%), gentamicin (75.82%) and chloramphenicol (59.09%). ESBL genes were present in all E. coli strains with the following ƉrŽƉŽrƟŽnƐ͗ TEM/CTX-M1 52/91 (57.14%), TEM/SHV/CTX-M1 19/91 (20.88%), CTX-M 18/91 (19.78%), TEM 1/91 (1.10%) and TEM/SHV 1/91 (1.10%). Conclusion: The presence of ESBL producing E. coli is a reality in Togo and their wide ĚŝƐƐĞmŝnĂƟŽn compromises the treatment of classical ŝnĨĞcƟŽnƐ such as urinary tract ŝnĨĞcƟŽnÍ• bacterial pneumonia, sepsis or mÄžnŝnŐŝƟƐ͘ The Ä‚cqƵŝƐŝƟŽn of molecular data on bacterial resistance to Ä‚nÆŸbŝŽƟcƐ is necessary for bĞƩĞr ƚŚĞrĂƉĞƵƟc management of these ŝnĨĞcƟŽnƐ͘ This is a Ä®rƐƚ ĚĞƚĞrmŝnĂƟŽn of the βlactamase genes in Togo.