Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Escherichia Coli Isolated from Apparently Healthy Domestic Poultry

Abstract

Poultry, despite being a primary source of meat for many residents in Bauchi Metropolis, the quality of poultry remains a significant concern due to potential contamination with Escherichia coli and other pathogens. While previous studies have addressed antibiotic resistance, microbial load and multidrug resistance profiles in domestic poultry in Bauchi, there is a lack of recent, comprehensive research focusing specifically on the antibiotic resistance profile of E. coli strains isolated from apparently healthy domestic poultry. This study was conducted to determine the antibiotic resistance profile of Escherichia coli [BP1.1] isolated from apparently healthy domestic poultry in Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria. E. coli was isolated using MacConkey agar and identified by conventional microbiology technique. The isolates were tested against 13 antibiotics using the disc diffusion method. A total of 13 different antibiotic resistance profiles were observed, with each isolate showing resistance to at least four or more drugs tested. Generally, the E. coli isolates showed resistance rates of 95% to Ampicillin, 20.5% to Chloramphenicol, 21.8% to gentamicin, 60.9% to Penicillin, 19.3% to Streptomycin, 76.9% to Eftazidime, 25.6% to Cefuroxime, 43.6% to Cefixime, 21.9% to Ofloxacin, 33.3% to Augmentin, 66.2% to Nitrofurantoin, 25.3% to Ciprofloxacin, and 30.9% to Tetracycline. This study showed that the average number of resistance phenotypes per isolate was significantly higher for Ampicillin. A significant public health concern observed in this study is that antibiotic resistance commonly found in E. coli strains may constitute a potential reservoir of resistance genes that could be transferred to pathogenic bacteria.