The oqxAB is a multidrug-resistant efflux gene encoding the OqxAB efflux pump. It comprises two open reading frames, oqxA and oqxB, and confers bacterial resistance, especially to quinolones. OqxAB, discovered in E. coli plasmid pOLA52 is one of the important members of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes. Until now, 11 oqxA and 32 oqxB alleles have been found respectively. OqxAB can be disseminated horizontally through the transmissible plasmid and to increases the resistance level of the receptor, resulting in the more difficult treatment. Although the gene is currently mainly prevalent in Enterobacteriaceae, it cannot be excluded in non-Enterobacteriaceae bacteria, which will pose a huge threat to human and livestock health. This review summarizes the discovery, drug resistance mechanism and epidemiological characteristics of the oqxAB and its alleles, aiming to provide literature data for the rational use of quinolone in clinical treatment and the process of food animal production, as well as reduce the prevalence of oqxAB.