Incidence of Uterine Infection and Their Antimicrobial Resistant Pattern in Camel (Camelus dromedaries) Slaughtered at Maiduguri Central Abattoir

Abstract

Uterine bacterial infections are a significant reproductive health issue in camels, leading to reduced conception rates, increased risk of pregnancy loss, and infertility. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of uterine bacterial infections in camels slaughtered at Maiduguri Central Abattoir. Swab samples were collected from the uterine tract of 82 camels and cultured on Blood agar plates containing 5% defibrinated sheep blood and MacConkey agar plates. The inoculated plates were then incubated aerobically at 37 °C for 24 hours. Following incubation, bacterial growth was subjected to biochemical tests for species identification. The identified bacteria were then subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. A total of 76 bacterial isolates were identified, comprising 19 (23.2%) Escherichia coli, 18 (22.0%) Staphylococcus aureus, 15 (18.3%) Klebsiella spp, 11 (13.4%) Salmonella spp, and 13 (15.9%) Streptococcus spp. Notably, these bacteria exhibited high-level resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Specifically, 100% resistance to Gentamycin, Streptomycin, Amoxicillin, and Ciprofloxacin was observed in Klebsiella spp and Salmonella spp isolates. However, Gentamycin, Ciprofloxacin, and Amoxicillin were the most effective antimicrobials, with 81.1%, 70.3%, and 70.3% susceptibility rates, respectively. The study's findings emphasize the importance of antibiotic susceptibility testing before treatment, thus ensuring effective therapy and minimizing the development of antibiotic resistance.