Isolation and Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci in Healthy Broilers in Nsukka Southeast, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to isolate and detect methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) in healthy broilers in Nsukka Southeast, Nigeria and determine the antibiogram of the isolates. Cloacal and skin swabs were collected from each of 101 randomly sampled broilers meant for slaughter. The samples were processed for isolation and identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus species, following standard methods. Confirmation of methicillin-resistance by the isolates was done using penicillin binding protein 2a (PBP2a) kit. Phenotypic resistance of the isolates to antimicrobial agents was determined using disc diffusion method. Out of 202 samples processed, 200 (99.01%) yielded positive growth of staphylococci on oxacillin-supplemented oxacillin-resistance staphylococcal agar base (ORSAB). A total of 200 methicillin-resistant staphylococcal isolates were obtained. Of these, 91 (45.5%) were identified as methicillin-resistant coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (MRCoPS), while 109 (54.5%) were identified as methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (MRCoNS). Out of the 91 MRCoPS, 53 (58.2%) were identified as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Resistance of the isolates was 99.5% to erythromycin and chloramphenicol, 100% to oxacillin, 76.5% to gentamicin, 96.5% to clindamycin, 92.5% to ciprofloxacin, 99% to sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim and tetracycline, and 98.5% to streptomycin and cefoxitin. All the isolates were multidrug resistant. This study has shown that healthy broilers reared and slaughtered in Nsukka Southeast, Nigeria harbour multidrugresistant MRS and thus serve as their reservoirs.

Genetic characterisation of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> isolated from commercial broiler chickens in the Durban metropolitan area, South Africa

“…In this study, S. aureus isolates were highly resistant to tetracycline, ampicillin, cefoxitin, trimethoprim and erythromycin, but mostly susceptible to gentamicin and chloramphenicol ( Table 2 ), and multiple-drug resistance was also observed for almost all the isolates ( Table 3 ). These results correspond with the findings by Momtaz et al ( 2013 ), Islam et al ( 2014 ) and Ugwu et al ( 2015 ). In all previous comparative studies, tetracycline resistance was the most prevalent compared to resistance to other antimicrobial agents.…”

“…Contamination of chicken meat by S. aureus has been detected in numerous countries including the Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, USA and Nigeria (De Boer et al 2009 ; Islam et al 2014 ; Kitai et al 2005 ; Kwon et al 2006 ; Momtaz et al 2013 ; Ugwu et al 2015 ). In South Africa, there is a paucity of information on MRSA isolated from chicken meat.…”

Occurrence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in chickens and farm personnel in Sokoto, North-western Nigeria

“…The growths of S. aureus isolates on oxacillinsupplemented ORSAB suggest that they are methicillinresistant strains and also, production of PBP2α by these isolates confirms that they are methicillin-resistant strains and thus may harbor mecA gene which encodes for the expression of PBP2α (Persoons et al, 2009;Ugwu et al, 2015).…”

Antibiotic Sensitivity Patterns of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated from Chickens in Poultry Farms in Sokoto, Nigeria

“…Different antimicrobial substances are used extensively at sub-therapeutic or therapeutic doses as growth promoters, routine prevention and treatment of bacterial diseases in food-animal (Gilchrist et al, 2007;Waters et al, 2011). This practice is usually common in developing countries such as Nigeria, where there are poor legislations regulating the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals (Bitrus et al, 2015: Ugwu et al, 2015. Therefore this study was conducted to assess the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of MRSA to commonly used antibiotics in the study area.…”