Multi-drug and biocide-resistant Gram-positive bacteria prevalent on surfaces of veterinary clinics in Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: In this study, the common aerobic Gram-positive bacteria (GPB) contaminating veterinary clinic surfaces were isolated, and their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents (antibiotics and biocides) was determined. Materials and Methods: Standard cultural and biochemical procedures were used to process 62 swab samples collected from different surfaces in 4 veterinary clinics for the isolation and identification of GPB. The agar dilution technique was used to determine the sensitivity of the isolates to disinfectants, while the disc diffusion technique was used to determine the sensitivity to antibiotics. Results: Isolation rates in veterinary clinics I, II, III, and IV were 39.4%, 40.4%, 7.4%, and 12.8%, respectively. GPB were isolated from all the surfaces sampled. A total of 94 GPB isolates were recovered, comprising Bacillus species (51.1%), Staphylococcus species (38.3%), Corynebacterium species (6.4%), and Enterococcus species (4.3%). Only 13.8% of the GPB were resistant to at least one of the biocides tested. Multiple drug resistance to at least three classes of antimicrobial agents was exhibited by 95% of the isolates tested. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that veterinary clinic environments and surfaces in Makurdi are reservoirs of wide varieties of antimicrobial-resistant GPB of veterinary and public health importance.