Abstract

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The problems imposed by the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and its spread in both humans and livestock, due to excessive use of antibiotics in livestock presents serious risks to public health. The susceptibility profile of isolates from IFSERAR livestock farms was investigated. A total of forty (40) rectal, cloacae and ear swab samples of goat, poultry and handlers, were collected from livestock farms using sterile swab sticks. Specimens were sent to the laboratory for isolation, identification, characterization of the associated bacteria and antibiotic susceptibility testing were carried out using standard microbiological techniques. A total of 34 distinct species of bacteria were isolated, which included Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus spp, Shigella spp, Salmonella spp, and Enterococcus spp. were identified. All isolates from different livestock farms and their handlers exhibited 100% resistance to ceftazidime antibiotics. Isolates from farm handlers, Kalahar, and KalaWAD goats exhibited 85.7%, 71.4%, and 57.1% resistance to cefoxitin respectively. The least resistance (35.7%) to cefoxitin was exhibited by isolates from poultry farms.Isolates from farm handlers and the KalaWAD goat farm exhibited 71.4% resistance to vancomycin, while isolates from poultry and kalahari goat farm exhibited 57.1% and 42.5% resistance respectively. High resistance of 71.4% was exhibited by isolates from poultry farms only, while all other isolates to gentamycin exhibited 14.3% resistance. Ciprofloxacin resistance to isolates from Kalahari, KalaWAD, poultry and farm handlers was 14.3%, 28.6%, 42.9% and 28.6% respectively. The findings of this research suggest, that the bacteria isolates exhibit a variety of resistance to antibiotics used, which is a pointer to a pool of resistance genes within the livestock farm isolates.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, bacteria pathogens, livestock, farm handler