ANTIBIOTICS SUSCEPTIBILITY PROFILE OF <i>ESCHERICHIA</i> <i>COLI</i> ISOLATED FROM POULTRY ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The rise in the prevalence of antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacterial species poses an escalating challenge globally, particularly in developing countries. The extensive utilization of antimicrobials in poultry farming raises apprehensions about the emergence of multidrugresistant microbial species that could be transmitted to humans. The present study assesses the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Escherichia coli isolated from various poultry environments, including fecal, soil, feed, and water samples, in the Akoko areas of Ondo State. Fifty-three strains of Escherichia coli were isolated from the samples obtained from the poultry environments based on their cultural characteristics on Eosin-methylene Blue agar, Gram staining reaction, morphological and biochemical attributes. The susceptibility of isolates to specific antibiotics was examined utilizing the adapted Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique in accordance with CLSI recommendations. The majority of the isolates exhibited resistance to tetracycline which is a commonly used antibiotic in the region. However, gentamicin, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, amikacin and chloramphenicol demonstrated effectiveness against a significant proportion of E. coli isolates. Findings from this investigation indicate that environments within poultry facilities may function as possible sources for antibiotic-resistant E. coli, posing a significant public health concern. Hence, it is crucial to focus on the production of safe poultry and high-quality poultry products, as well as regulate the use of antibiotics in poultry farming.