Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli Isolates from Livestock and the Environment in Extensive Smallholder Livestock Production Systems in Ethiopia

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize the distribution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from livestock feces and soil in smallholder livestock systems. A cross-sectional study was carried out sampling 77 randomly selected households in four districts representing two agroecologies and production systems. E. coli was isolated and the susceptibility to 15 antimicrobials was assessed. Of 462 E. coli isolates tested, resistance to at least one antimicrobial was detected in 52% (43.7–60.8) of isolates from cattle fecal samples, 34% (95% CI, 26.2–41.8) from sheep samples, 58% (95% CI, 47.9–68.2) from goat samples and 53% (95% CI, 43.2–62.4) from soil samples. AMR patterns for E. coli from livestock and soil showed some similarities, with the highest prevalence of resistance detected against streptomycin (33%), followed by amoxycillin/clavulanate (23%) and tetracycline (8%). The odds of detecting E. coli resistance to ≥2 antimicrobials in livestock fecal samples were nearly three times (Odd Ratio—OR: 2.9; 95% CI, 1.72–5.17; p = 0.000) higher in lowland pastoral than in highland mixed crop–livestock production systems. These findings provide insights into the status of resistance in livestock and soil, and associated risk factors in low-resource settings in Ethiopia.

Antimicrobial resistance profiles of Escherichia coli derived from an integrated agroforestry-livestock system in Deli Serdang Regency, Indonesia

“…AMP and TE had the highest proportion of resistant isolates of E. coli from goats, whereas CHL had the highest susceptibility. This finding is not comparable with that of goats raised in the silvopastoral system, where the level of resistance to TE was lower (13.6%) than in the present study [25]. Notwithstanding, our findings are consistent with those of a similar study conducted in Nigeria, where E. coli isolates from goat feces exhibited high resistance levels to AMP (94.7%) and TE (89.5%) [57].…”

“…The prevalence of AMP (49%) and TE resistance (23%) observed in cattle production in the forest interface system aligned with the findings reported previously [52]. In addition, a study [25] reported significantly high resistance levels against TEs in isolates collected from cattle raised in the silvopastoral system of Ethiopia. Consistent with the findings of the current study, E. coli isolates from the cattle production systems of Zimbabwe (78%), Ghana (54.8%), Mexico (68.8%), and Indonesia (35.5%) demonstrated simihigh levels of resistance against AMP [53][54][55][56].…”

“…Methods for E. coli isolation and identification were conducted in accordance with established protocols [25,31]. Briefly, 2 g of the livestock fecal sample was mixed with 18 mL of buffer phosphate water and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Subsequently, a loop-full of pre-enriched cultures was taken, inoculated on eosin-methylene-blue (EMB) agar, and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Colonies exhibiting a metallic sheen on incubated EMB agar were identified as E. coli-positive.…”

“…Manyi-Loh et al [24] examined the development and emergence of AMR and MDR organisms in integrated agroecosystems. Furthermore, a study conducted in Ethiopia revealed that AMR and MDR E. coli circulate in livestock and silvopastoral settings [25]. As a result, the potential threat of MDR commensal E. coli from livestock has become a recent concern that should be monitored in integrated livestock agroforestry.…”

Integration of water, sanitation, and hygiene program with biosecurity: A One Health approach to reduce the prevalence and exposure of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the livestock community

“…In Italy, the prevalence was 23.3% [37], whereas in France, the prevalence was 5%, and in Japan, it reached 5.2% [38]. In Africa, fecal samples of Ethiopian cattle have a higher prevalence (52%) [39], whereas broiler farms in Zambia have reported lower values [40]. Pig farms in Nigeria recorded 41.2% [41], Cameroon recorded 59.1% [42], and Kenya had the highest value at 81% [43].…”