Poultry Farm and Poultry Products as Sources of Multiple Antimicrobial-Resistant Salmonella and S. aureus

Background: Poultry production is a key interface for the spread of novel zoonotic and antibiotic-resistantfoodborne pathogens. Salmonella spp. and S. aureus isolates from 2 poultry production were tested for resistance toclinical antibiotics.Methods: One hundred 100 anal swab samples were aseptically collected from 2 small scale poultry farmslocated within Agulu, during the period of February 2016 to May 2016. The swab sticks were carefully transferredinto the buffered peptone water and incubated at 37°C for 24hours and pre-enriched in sterile nutrient broth at 37°Cfor 24hours. After which, the culture was streaked on selective media Salmonella-shigella Agar and Mannitol SaltAgar using a sterile wire loop and further incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. S. aureusand Salmonella isolates wereidentified using standard microbiological identification techniques. The isolates were evaluated for antibioticsusceptibility, and for the expression of extended spectrum β-lactamase as well as vancomycin sensitivity.Results: One hundred bacterial isolates (44 S. aureusand 56 Salmonella spp.) were bacteriologically obtainedfrom the poultry samples. Resistance pattern of the isolates to antibiotics was in the order ofceftazidime>cefuroxime>cloxacillin>augmentin®>ceftriaxone>erythromycin>gentamicin>ofloxacin for S. aureuswhile the Salmonella spp. had augmentin®>cefuroxime~ofloxacin>gentamicin>ceftazidime>ceftriaxone. Only 5.3%(3/56) Salmonella spp. was ESBL producers while 27.3% S. aureus were Vancomycin resistant.Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that the poultry farm and poultry products could be a source of multipleantimicrobial-resistant Salmonella and S. aureus and may constitute a public health concern considering thecirculation and consumption of livestock and their products, especially chickens and eggs.