Pages: (60-70 )
Abstract
Bacteria strains can be transferred from animal to humans by direct or indirect contact with animal faeces, meat and other products. With the emergence of resistant strains, such animal product poses threat to the public health. Campylobacter species are major foodborne pathogens associated with human gastroenteritis and they can also contaminate animal foods. However, there is paucity of information on this species from animal sources in South-West Nigeria. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence, antibiogram and plasmid profile of Campylobacter species in animal wastes in Ondo state. One hundred and fifty faecal samples were collected from cow, goat, poultry, fish and pig and subjected to conventional microbiological analyses. The isolates were screened against eight antibiotics and the plasmid profiles of resistant strains were determined. Fifty isolates of Campylobacter were recovered from the animal wastes with cow dung and poultry dropping having higher percentage of the recovered species (30% and 28% respectively). Gentamicin, Augmentin, Nitrofurantoin and Ampicillin recorded 100% resistance each followed by Ceftazidime (90%), Cefuroxime (86%), Ciprofloxacin (84%) and Ofloxacin (78%). Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was also observed as all the isolates showed resistance to at least three antimicrobial classes. The high resistivity of Campylobacter species raises huge concern regarding public health. It is, therefore, necessary to set up antibiotic use surveillance system in animal (agricultural) practice to prevent increase in antibiotic resistance among Campylobacter species.
Keywords: Animal faecal waste, antibiogram, Campylobacter species, gene transfer, prevalence.,