Evaluation of the Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Isolates from Feed and Water of Selected Poultry Farms in Awka Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

The susceptibility of microorganisms isolated from poultry feeds and poultry water samples to selected antibiotics was assessed. Standard methods were used to analyze selected poultry feeds and poultry water samples. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the bacterial isolates were determined against the following antibacterial agents: erythromycin (10 µg), ciprofloxacin (10 µg), ampiclox (20 µg), rifampicin (20 µg), amoxil (20 µg), septrin (30 µg), ampicillin (30 µg), ceporex (10 µg), levofloxacin (20 µg), gentamicin (10 µg), streptomycin (30 µg), norfloxacin (10 µg), chloramphenicol (30 µg), ofloxacin (10 µg), nalidixic acid (30 µg), reflecine (10 µg), and augmentin (30 µg).The highest viable counts of bacteria isolated from poultry feed and water samples were 2.7x106 cfu/g and 1.69x103 cfu/ml, respectively. The highest fungal counts in the poultry feed and water samples were 1.60x105 cfu/g and 2x105 cfu/ml, respectively. Bacterial isolates from poultry feed and water samples included Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella species, and Staphylococcus aureus. Fungal isolates included Aspergillus species, Penicillium species, Mucor species, and Candida species.Staphylococcus aureus exhibited the highest susceptibility to most of the antibiotics, while Klebsiella pneumoniae showed the highest resistance, as it was resistant to five out of the ten antibiotics tested in this study. The research has demonstrated that poultry feed and poultry water showed varying levels of contamination, which may pose serious health risks to poultry. Amoxil, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, reflecine, and ofloxacin are recommended for use as antibiotics to treat diseases that may be caused by some of these pathogens.