Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus among Poultry in Umuahia, Nigeria

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among poultry was investigated. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) poses serious public health issues worldwide and infections resulting from these organisms present difficult therapeutic challenges. A total of 250 swab samples were collected from the skin, cloaca, and egg shells of chickens as well as from feeds, droppings and environment of poultry farms located in rural communities of Umuahia, Nigeria. The respective specimens were inoculated onto mannitol salt agar using the streak plate technique. Inoculated plates were incubated at 35–37 °C for 18 to 24 hours aerobically. Bacterial colonies showing typical characteristics of S. aureus (i.e., golden yellow pigmentation on mannitol salt agar resulting from the fermentation of mannitol) were subcultured onto freshly prepared nutrient agar plates to obtain pure colonies. The pure isolates were characterized by Gram staining, biochemical testing and molecular identification. Antimicrobial assays of the isolates were performed using various antibiotics. Out of 250 samples, 66 isolates of S. aureus were obtained. The antibiotic resistant pattern of S. aureus varied. The isolates were highly resistant to tetracycline, ampicillin, erythromycin and cefuroxime. The multiple antibiotic resistant (MAR) profile of S. aureus showed that 20(30.3%) exhibited MAR to nine antibiotics while 19(28.8%) isolates exhibited MAR to ten antibiotics. Out of the 66 isolates, 24(36.3%) isolates were Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The highest prevalence of MRSA was obtained from skin and cloaca samples. This study has confirmed the existence of MRSA in poultry farms within the study area. The presence of S. aureus and MRSA in poultry poses a great challenge to food security, because most of the poultry where samples were collected in this study are small holder farms that supply chickens to the public for human consumption as a source of protein.