Antibiogram of enteric bacteria isolated from rats cohabiting with poultry in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The antibiotic sensitivity patterns of some Enterobacteria and other gram-negative bacterial isolates from rats cohabiting with poultry were assessed. The bacterial screened for antibiotic susceptibilities were recovered from 400 oral and anal swabs of rats cohabiting with poultry in Ibadan, Nigeria. A total of 228 gram-negative bacteria comprising 211 Enterobacteria from 10 genera, 16 Pseudomonas species, and one Aeromonas hydrophila were subjected to the susceptibility testing with antibiotic discs of 10 commonly used antibiotics. Nineteen of the 21 species were multidrug-resistant with 50%-100% of the bacteria isolates showing resistance to 6-10 antibiotics. The quinolone group of antibiotics had the highest level of susceptibility. One hundred percent susceptibility were obtained with isolates of Aeromonas hydrophila to ofloxacin, Providencia alcalifaciens to sparfloxacin, Enterobacter agglomerans to ofloxacin and sparfloxacin; Pseudomonas flourescens to pefloxacin, ofloxacin and sparfloxacin. Also, 75% of Salmonella subspecies 1were sensitive to ofloxacin; 67% of Enterobacter dissolvens to sparfloxacin and 50% of Serratia liquefalciens to ofloxacin. However, the percentage resistance displayed for the quinolones/fluoroquinolones by some isolates like Salmonella subspecies 1(25%), Enterobacter dissolvens (33%), and Serratia liquefalciens (50%) are still considered high because of their use as one of the drugs of last resort for the treatment of some lifethreatening bacterial infections in humans and animals. The study showed that rats pose a public health threat in terms of transmission of drug-resistant pathogens within the food chain. Therefore, control of rats should be included in the strategies for the curtailment of transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens through poultry production in Nigeria.

Keywords: Antibiogram, Enteric bacteria, Poultry, Rats