Prevalence, histopathological findings and aerobic bacteria flora associated with pneumopathies in goats slaughtered at the Nsukka abattoir

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence, histopathological findings and aerobic bacteria flora associated with pneumopathies in goats slaughtered for human consumption at the Nsukka abattoir. The lungs of 342 goats were examined for gross lesions and samples were collected for histopathological and bacteriological examinations. Microscopic findings of this study showed that a total of 136 (39.8%) of the samples had various types of pneumopathies including bronchopneumonia, interstitial pneumonia, hyperemia, haemorrhages, oedema, etc. Bronchopneumonia was observed in 54 (39.70%) of the 136 lungs with pneumopathies while interstitial pneumonia and non-pneumonic pneumopathies were recorded in 44 (32.35%) and 38 (27.94%) respectively. Seventy-nine (58.11%) out of the examined 136, were recorded during the wet season and 57 (41.9%) in the dry season. Ninety-six (70.6%) of the cases were found in Kano brown goats, 39(28.67%) in West African dwarf goats and 1(0.73%) in Sahel goats. More of the females examined had pneumopathies. Aerobic bacteria isolated from the lungs with pneumopathies were E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Mannheimia haemolytica, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Proteus vulgaris and Pasteurella multocida. E. coli with a prevalence rate of 73.5% was the most predominant isolate. There was no significant association between the lung lesions observed and the associated aerobic bacterial isolates, seasons, sexes and breeds.Keywords: Aerobic bacteria isolates, Bronchopneumonia, Interstitial pneumonia, Pneumopathies, prevalenc

Identification, Antifungal Susceptibility and Phylogenetic Comparison of Fungi in Poultry Environment in Nigeria

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the fungal community structure in Nigerian poultry environments. Materials and Methods: In ten (layer and broiler) farms, samples were collected from drinkers, doors, feeders, floors, poles, roofs, walls and window nets. Fungal isolation was done on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) followed by identification using morphological and microscopic features. The fungal identities were confirmed by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer region, followed by phylogenetic analysis. Antifungal susceptibility testing was done using nystatin (100 μg mL–1), fluconazole (25 μg mL–1) and voriconazole (1 μg mL–1). Results: A total of 244 fungi were identified in all the locations. In the layers farm, 112 fungal isolates were identified, while 132 isolates were identified in the broiler farm. In all the poultry farms, Aspergillus and Candida species had the highest occurrence of 32.4 and 24.6%, respectively while other fungi (Dematiaceous, Rhizopus, Penicillium, Mucor and Rhodotorula) had 43% occurrence. For the locations, poles and window nets had the highest isolation frequency of 15.2% each. The roofs, feeders and floors had 14.3 and 13.1%, while other locations had 27% isolation rate. Phylogenetic comparison of the isolates showed that closely related fungi from different countries formed separate clades. Candida species were sensitive to the three antifungal agents with the zone of inhibition diameter ranging from 19.08-25.36 mm. All the Aspergillus species were resistant to fluconazole but were sensitive to nystatin and voriconazole. Conclusion: Different fungi were identified in this study and they were all susceptible to nystatin antifungal agent

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production among ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli strains from chicken in Enugu State, Nigeria Produção de beta-lactamase de espectro expandido por cepas de Escherichia coli resistentes a ampicilina isoladas de frango em Enugu State, Nigéria

One hundred and seventy-two ampicillin-resistant E. coli strains isolated from commercial chickens in Enugu State, Nigeria, were screened for beta-lactamase production using the broth method with nitrocefin® as the chromogenic cephalosporin to detect enzyme production. Beta-lactamase producing strains were further examined for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production using the Oxoid combination discs method. One hundred and seventy (98.8%) of the 172 ampicillin-resistant E. coli strains produced beta-lactamase enzyme. Sixteen (9.4%) beta-lactamase producers were phenotypically confirmed to produce ESBLs. Six of the ESBL producing strains were only detected with ceftazidime versus ceftazidime/clavulanate combination while ten of the ESBL producers were detected with cefotaxime versus cefotaxime/clavulanate combination. Chicken may serve as a reservoir of ESBL-producing E. coli strains which could be transferred to man and other animals.<br>Cento e setenta e duas cepas de Escherichia coli resistentes a ampicilina isoladas de frangos em Enugu State, Nigéria, foram avaliadas quanto à produção de beta-lactamase através do uso de método em caldo com nitrocefin® como indicador cromogênico da produção da enzima. Em seguida, as cepas produtoras de beta-lactamase foram examinadas quanto à produção de beta-lactamase de espectro expandido (ESBL) através do método de discos combinados Oxoid. Entre as cepas de Escherichia coli resistentes a ampicilina, cento e setenta (98,8%) produziram beta-lactamase. Testes fenotípicos indicaram que dezesseis (9,4%) das cepas produtoras de beta-lactamase produziram ESBL. Seis cepas produtoras de ESBL foram detectadas apenas com a combinação ceftazidima versus cefotaxime/clavulanato, enquanto dez cepas produtoras de ESBL foram detectadas com a combinação cefotaxime versus cefotaxime/clavulanato. Frangos podem ser reservatório de cepas de E.coli produtoras de ESBL, que podem ser transferidos para o homem e outros animais

Antimicrobial resistance of non-clinical Escherichia coli strains from chicken in Nsukka, South-east Nigeria

This study was carried out to determine resistance profiles of Escherichia coli strains isolated from clinically healthy chickens in Nsukka, southeast Nigeria. A total of 324 E. coli strains isolated from cloaca swabs from 390 chickens were tested against 16 antimicrobial agents using the disc diffusion method. The antibiotics used in the study were: ampicillin (25µg), amoxycillin-clavulanic acid (30µg), gentamicin (10µg), streptomycin (30µg), cefuroxime (20µg), cephalexin (10µg), nalidixic acid (30µg), ciprofloxacin (5µg), norfloxacin (10µg), ofloxacin (5µg), pefloxacin (5µg), tetracycline (30µg), chloramphenicol (10µg), cotrimoxazole (50µg), colistin (25µg) and nitrofurantoin (100µg). The strains demonstrated high rates of resistance (34.6% – 66.1%) to ampicillin, tetracycline, nitrofurantoin, cefuroxime and cotrimoxazole. None of the isolates was resistant to colistin, ofloxacin and pefloxacin. For each antimicrobial agent (except cephalexin), strains from the intensively reared chickens (layers and broilers) displayed higher resistance frequencies than those from the local birds. A total of 49 resistant patterns were recorded for the 228 strains resistant to at least one antimicrobial drug, with AmTeCoS and AmTeCfN being the predominant patterns. Because of the great variation in the drug resistance patterns of the Esherichia coli strains, use of antimicrobial agents in the management of E. coli infections in the study area should be based on results of sensitivity tests. Keywords: Antimicrobial, resistance, patterns, Escherichia coli, chicken

Diversity of Ochrobactrum species in food animals, antibiotic resistance phenotypes and polymorphisms in the blaOCH gene

Twenty-six lactose non-fermenting, oxidase, urease and citrate-positive Gram-negative rods, isolated from broiler chickens, pigs and cattle at slaughter, were subjected to the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry and 16S rDNA sequencing for identification. Susceptibility to 14 antimicrobials was determined by the disc diffusion method. Ochrobactrum isolates resistant to third-generation cephalosporins were PCR-screened for the presence of the Ochrobactrum anthropi ampC gene (blaOCH). A 547-bp internal segment of blaOCH in the Ochrobactrum spp isolates was amplified with a newly designed primer set, and a phylogenetic reconstruction based on the complete amino acid sequence of blaOCH obtained from nine Ochrobactrum strains in our collection and 20 O. anthropi available in the GenBank was undertaken. All the Ochrobactrum isolates were resistant to the expanded-spectrum beta-lactams and streptomycin. None of the isolates was resistant to imipenem while 41.7% to 50.0% of them were resistant to fluoroquinolones. The blaOCH gene was detected in 16 (66.7%) and 20 (83.3%) of the 24 Ochrobactrum isolates (O. intermedium/O. tritici species), using primers designed for O. anthropi and the newly designed primer set, respectively. Six blaOCH variants grouped into two divergent clusters were identified. This is the first report of the complete nucleotide sequence of the blaOCH gene in non-antropi Ochrobactrum species. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved

Characterization of mannitol-fermenting methicillin-resistant staphylococci isolated from pigs in Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the species distribution, antimicrobial resistance pheno- and genotypes and virulence traits of mannitol-positive methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) isolated from pigs in Nsukka agricultural zone, Nigeria. Twenty mannitol-positive methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcal (MRCoNS) strains harboring the mecA gene were detected among the 64 Staphylococcus isolates from 291 pigs. A total of 4 species were identified among the MRCoNS isolates, namely, Staphylococcus sciuri (10 strains), Staphylococcus lentus (6 strains), Staphylococcus cohnii (3 strains) and Staphylococcus haemolyticus (one strain). All MRCoNS isolates were multidrug-resistant. In addition to -lactams, the strains were resistant to fusidic acid (85%), tetracycline (75%), streptomycin (65%), ciprofloxacin (65%), and trimethoprim/sulpha-methoxazole (60%). In addition to the mecA and blaZ genes, other antimicrobial resistance genes detected were tet(K), tet(M), tet(L), erm(B), erm(C), aacA-aphD, aphA3, str, dfrK, dfrG, catpC221, and catpC223. Thirteen isolates were found to be ciprofloxacin-resistant, and all harbored a Ser84Leu mutation within the QRDR of the GyrA protein, with 3 isolates showing 2 extra substitutions, Ser98Ile and Arg100Lys (one strain) and Glu88Asp and Asp96Thr (2 strains). A phylogenetic tree of the QRDR nucleotide sequences in the gyrA gene revealed a high nucleotide diversity, with several major clusters not associated with the bacterial species. Our study highlights the possibility of transfer of mecA and other antimicrobial resistance genes from MRCoNS to pathogenic bacteria, which is a serious public health and veterinary concern. © 2015, Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia

Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from healthy dogs in Nsukka, Nigeria

The occurrence, resistance phenotype and molecular mechanisms of resistance of methicillinresistant staphylococci from groin swabs of 109 clinically healthy dogs in Nsukka, Nigeria were investigated. The groin swab samples were cultured on mannitol salt agar supplemented with 10 g of cloxacillin. Sixteen methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci (MRCoNS), all harbouring the mecA gene were isolated from 14 (12.8%) of the 109 dogs studied. The MRCoNS isolated were: S. sciuri subspecies rodentium, S. lentus, S. haemolyticus, and S. simulans with S. sciuri subspecies rodentium (62.5%) being the predominant species. Thirteen (81.3%) of the MRCoNS were resistant to tetracycline while 12 (75%) and 10 (62.5%) were resistant to kanamycin and trimthoprim- sulphamethoxazole respectively. None of the isolates was resistant to fusidic acid, linezolid and vancomycin. Thirteen (81.3%) of the MRCoNS were multi-drug resistance (MDR). Other antimicrobial genes detected were: blaZ, tet(K), tet(M), tet(L), erm(B), lnu(A), aacA-aphD, aphA3, str, dfr(G), catpC221,and catpC223. Methicillin-resistant staphylococci are common colonizers of healthy dogs in Nigeria with a major species detected being S. sciuri subsp. rodentium. © 2014, Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia