Anti-microbial resistance of <i>E. Coli</i> isolates from feeds and poultry units in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Between September 2002 and February 2003, 614 samples collected from four large-scale and five small-scale farms, one turkey breeder farm and two hatcheries as well as five commercial feed brands and various feed ingredients in Imo state, Nigeria were analyzed for the presence of E. coli. Thereafter, isolates were screened for anti-microbial resistance profile against 17 antibiotics using the disc diffusion method. E. coli was isolated from 546 (88.9%) of the samples. Although prevalence rates were generally high across the different sources, figures for commercial feeds and feed ingredients were however relatively lower when compared with figures from farm sites and hatcheries. The overall mean resistance at the large-scale farms was 61.2% while that of the small-scale farms was 56.2%. Mean percentage resistance of isolates from the commercial turkey farm was low at 23.3%. Across the hatcheries, the 70.0% recorded in isolates from dead-in-shell poults at hatchery 1 (H1) was the highest, while the 48.0% recorded in isolates from unhatched chicks at hatchery 2 (H2) was lowest. Relatively lower mean percentage resistance figures (19.9, 22.5, 30.0 and 34.4%) were recorded in isolates from the commercial feeds (ACF, SF, TF and GF respectively). Similarly, mean resistance rates recorded in isolates from feed ingredients were low with overall mean standing at 38.3%. Very high, overall mean resistance rates (60.0–100.0%) were recorded against ampicillin, cotrimoxazole, nitrofurantoin, augumentine, tetracycline and chloramphenicol in the isolates. Relatively lower resistance rates were on the other hand recorded for gentamycin, oxfloxacin, streptomycin and pefloxacin. These data point to poor antibiotic use habits among farmers and practitioners in the study area and sound the warning of high anti-microbial resistance among these organisms of economic and public health importance.

International Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 7(1) 2006: 10-18