Antibiotic Profile of Aeromonas Specie Isolates from Catfish and Pond Water in Major Aquaculture Zones of Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Ecological balance, fish farming sustainability, and public health are all seriously threatened by the rising incidence of antibiotic-resistant Aeromonas species in aquaculture settings. Consequently, the objective of this paper was to determine the antibiotic profile of Aeromonas sp isolates from catfish and pond water in the major aquaculture zones of Ebonyi State, using standard microbiological methods (ten-fold serial dilution, spread plating on nutrient agar, Gram staining, motility test, and biochemical tests) to analyze a total of 72 samples (48 catfish and 24 pond water). The findings of bacterial counts showed that Ngbo had the greatest colony-forming units (CFU/mL), up to 9.4 × 10⁴ CFU/mL. Afikpo and Abakaliki had the next highest CFU/mL, 9.0 × 10⁴ and 8.2 × 10⁵, respectively. Aeromonas spp. and Streptococcus spp. were shown to be present by morphological and biochemical testing; the latter showed motility and wide sugar fermentation. The findings from antibiotic profile of Aeromonas species were shown to be 100% resistant to Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim, Ceftriaxone, Cefepime, Tetracycline, and Azithromycin in every zone according to antibiotic susceptibility tests. Gentamicin and imipenem, on the other hand, showed 100% efficacy. Amikacin resistance ranged from 0% in Abakaliki to 100% in Afikpo, but meropenem resistance was 66.7% in Afikpo. In Abakaliki and Afikpo, ciprofloxacin was still effective, but in Ngbo, it was completely resistant. These results underline the serious threat that multi-drug resistant Aeromonas species pose to aquaculture ecosystems and the necessity of alternate therapeutic strategies, regulatory action, and sustainable farming methods to slow the spread of resistance.