Abstract

---

Escherichia coli is one of the major bacterial entropathogens of public health concerns that cause food-borne diseases, thereby contributing to increased human morbidity and mortality. This study was aimed at isolating and characterizing multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates from both local and agric litter samples from selected poultry farms in Kano state. Questionnaire was administered to obtain information such as the size of the poultry farm, types of birds and mode of litter disposal from poultry farmers. A total of 10 samples of litter were aseptically collected 5 each from agric and local poultry farms. Bacteriological investigation on 10 isolates from local and broiler chicken litters for occurrence of E. coli was carried out by isolation through culture and identification using biochemical techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the disc diffusion method. In broiler farms, four out of five (80%) of participating farmers gave antibiotics for prophylaxis. The prevalence of E. coli was 90%. All E. coli isolates were multidrug resistant. The highest frequencies of resistance by E. coli were recorded for septrin (Co-trimoxazole), amoxicillin and chloramphenicol (90-100%).The presence of multidrug resistance was exhibited by all E. coli isolates (MAR. index; 0.6-0.9) which may be a high use of antimicrobials in poultry farms. Contamination of chicken litter may be an underestimated source of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) transmission towards animals, humans and the environment with multidrug resistant E. coli. Therefore, continued surveillance in chicken litter proliferation as local manure would enable monitoring of AMR risks and trends

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, E. coli, multidrug resistant, poultry litte