What is it about?
The use of antibiotics in animal production has been associated with the development and spread of antibiotic resistant organisms including commensals. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) species which were until recently considered non-pathogenic have been associated with opportunistic infections and high resistance to several antibiotics. This study sought to determine the prevalence, identity and phenotypic resistance of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species isolated from some selected poultry farms and farm workers in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra regions of Ghana. Poultry litter samples and oral swabs of poultry farm workers were collected from which bacteria species were isolated, identified and analysed. Various selective media were used for the presumptive identification of the different species. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of the isolates was performed. The isolates exhibited high resistance towards tetracycline (57.03%), doxycycline (43.75%) and oxacillin (43.36%). Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was observed in 19.14% of the isolates. The above findings call for stricter monitoring of antibiotic usage in both animal production and in humans.
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Why is it important?
Until recently, coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) were considered as the non-pathogenic members of the genus and thus were not of much interest to the research community. However, due to their implication in infections in both humans and animals, research interest in CoNS has increased over the past decade. In addition, CoNS have over the last decade, developed resistance to multiple antibiotics,4,6,7 making their study worthwhile, especially, since they are known commensals and could be prevalent in most environments. The economic burden of Staphylococcal infections in animal husbandry include decreased weight gain, drop in egg production (with respect to poultry), mortality, condemnation at slaughter and lameness, among others.
Perspectives
Majority (61%) of the multi-drug resistant CoNS isolates were isolated from humans including farm workers, owners and managers whereas the bedding materials had 39% s. These findings could be due to the fact that farm workers are more exposed to multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus strains because of the direct contact or interactions between humans and animals. This calsl for stricter monitoring of antibiotic usage in both animal production and in humans.
Christian Agyare
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of coagulase-negative Staphylococci isolated from poultry farms in three regions of Ghana, Infection and Drug Resistance, June 2017, Dove Medical Press,
DOI: 10.2147/idr.s136349.
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