ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN OF Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, Pasturella SPP ISOLATED FROM QUAIL EGG SHELLS IN SOME FARMS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
Keywords:
Keynote: Enterobacteriaceae, Pasturella spp, quail egg, antibiotics resistance, plasmid conjugation.Abstract
Background: Food borne disease associated with inappropriately treated or untreated eggs is a
major public health problem affecting developing and developed countries.
Aim: This study was undertaken to highlight the bacterial contamination associated with quail
eggs and their antimicrobial susceptibility profile.
Methods: Bacteria isolation was carried out from 150 samples of quail eggs in some farms in
Kaduna state, Nigeria. The isolates were screened for their antimicrobial susceptibility to ten
commonly prescribed antibiotics used within Kaduna, Nigeria using disc diffusion method as
described by Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute. Conjugation studies and curing experiments
were also carried out on resistant bacteria to determine involvement of plasmid in their resistance
using standard microbiological methods.
Results: A total of 191 bacteria colonies were isolated from the 150 samples of quail egg shells.
The most occurring bacteria isolated were Salmonella spp, accounting for 60.7% (91) of the
isolates followed by Pasturella species [34.67% (52)] and E. coli [32% (48)] were the least
isolated. High percentage of the isolates were susceptible to Imipenem while significantly resistant
to Bacitracin, Penicillin G, Nalidixic acid and Tetracycline. Out of 19 donor isolates only three (3)
were observed to transfer their resistance factor. The minimum inhibitory concentration values of
the tested transconjugants decreased significantly when compared with those obtained with the
untreated transconjugants. Further assessment showed that 96.8% of the isolates had MAR index
of 0.3 and above.
Conclusion: This study isolated bacteria with multidrug resistant profile, ability to transfer
resistant drug genetic material and are of public health concern from quail egg sold in Kaduna.
Therefore, stringent use of public health regulations for cleaning eggs before retailing is advocated.
