Antimicrobial Resistance Profile and Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Resistance Genes in Escherichia coli from Poultry Droppings in Nasarawa, Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: This study investigated the antimicrobial resistance profile and extended spectrum beta-lactamase resistance genes of Escherichia coli isolated from droppings of from selected poultry farms in Nasarawa, Nigeria. Study Design: Investigative Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, between November 2019 and February 2020. Methodology: A total of 90 samples from poultry droppings were collected from selected farms. Escherichia coli was isolated from the samples using standard cultural and microbiological methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and minimum inhibitory concentrations were evaluated as described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production in E. coli isolates was carried out using double disc synergy test.  In addition, molecular detection of ESBL genes was carried out using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. Results: The prevalence of E. coli was 100%. Antibiotic resistances of E. coli were recorded as follows: streptomycin (S: 94.4%), sulphamethoxazole / trimethoprim (SXT: 90.0%), ampicillin (AMP: 88.9%), gentamicin (CN: 68.9%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AMC: 55.6%), ciprofloxacin (CIP: 41.1%), cefoxitin (FOX: 35.6%), ceftazidime (CAZ: 34.4%), cefotaxime (CTX: 22.2%), and imipenems (IPM: 17.8%). The most common antibiotic resistant resistance phenotype was AMP-CTX-CAZ-CIP-CN (11.1%). Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) was observed in 97.7% (88/90) of the isolates, with the common MAR index being 0.5 (33.3%). Twenty five of the thirty beta-lactam resistant isolates (83.3%) were confirmed ESBL producers. The 25 ESBL positive isolates carried bla genes as follows: blaTEM (11/25, 44.0%) and blaCTX-M (18/25, 72.0%). blaSHV was not found in any isolate. Conclusion: E. coli isolated from the droppings of selected poultry farms in Nasarawa were less resistant to imipenem, cefotaxime, ceftazidime and cefoxitin in the study location. This implies that the antibiotics are useful in the treatment of infection caused by E. coli. Also, ESBL-positive E. coli isolates harbored ESBL genes, with blaCTX-M as the most common.