Unveiling the landscape of resistance against high priority critically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals across Africa: A scoping review.

The rapid population growth in Africa is associated with an increasing demand for livestock products which in turn can lead to antimicrobial use. Antimicrobial usage in animals contributes to the emergence and selection of resistant bacteria which constitutes a serious public health threat. This study aims to review and summarize the available information on highest priority critically important antimicrobials (HPCIAs) resistance in livestock production in Africa. This work will help to inform future policies for controlling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the food production chain. A scoping review was conducted according to the Cochrane handbook and following PRISMA 2020 guidelines for reporting. Primary research studies published after 1999 and reporting resistance of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp, and Campylobacter spp to HPCIAs in poultry, cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep in Africa were searched in four databases. A total of 312 articles were included in the review. The majority of the studies (40.7) were conducted in North African countries. More than 49.0% of included studies involved poultry and 26.2% cattle. Cephalosporins and quinolones were the most studied antimicrobial classes. Of the bacteria investigated in the current review, E. coli (41.7%) and Salmonella spp (24.9%) represented the most commonly studied. High levels of resistance against erythromycin in E. coli were found in poultry (MR 96.1%, IQR 83.3-100.0%), cattle (MR 85.7%, IQR 69.2-100.0%), and pigs (MR 94.0%, IQR 86.2-94.0%). In sheep, a high level of resistance was observed in E. coli against nalidixic acid (MR 87.5%, IQR 81.3-93.8%). In goats, the low level of sensibility was noted in S. aureus against streptomycin (MR 86.8%, IQR 19.4-99.0%). The study provides valuable information on HPCIAs resistance in livestock production in Africa and highlights the need for further research and policies to address the public health risk of AMR. This will likely require an investment in diagnostic infrastructure across the continent. Awareness on the harmful impact of AMR in African countries is a requirement to produce more effective and sustainable measures to curb AMR

Zoo-Sanitary Situation Assessment, an Initial Step in Country Disease Prioritization Process: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis from 2000 to 2020 in Cameroon

To prevent and/or control infectious diseases in animal and human health, an appropriate surveillance system based on suitable up-to-date epidemiological data is required. The systematic review protocol was designed according to the PRISMA statement to look at the available data on infectious diseases of livestock in Cameroon from 2000–2020. Data were searched through online databases. Grey literature was comprised of dissertations and theses from veterinary higher education institutions in Cameroon. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled prevalence using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software. Based on disease prevalence, major infectious diseases of livestock in Cameroon were gastrointestinal parasitosis (57.4% in cattle, 67.2% in poultry, 88% in pigs), hemoparasites (21.6% in small ruminants, 19.7% in cattle), bovine pasteurellosis (55.5%), fowl salmonellosis (48.2%), small ruminant plague (39.7%), foot-and-mouth disease (34.5% in cattle), and African swine fever (18.9%). Furthermore, other important endemic zoonoses in the country included: Rift Valley fever (10.9% in cattle, 3.7% in small ruminants), brucellosis (7% in cattle, 8% in pigs), bovine tuberculosis (4.7% in cattle), hepatitis E virus (8.4% in pigs) and bovine leptospirosis (2.5%). Most of the retrieved research were carried out in the Adamawa, Northwest, and West regions of Cameroon. The evaluation of existing data as evidence, albeit publication-specific, is an important step towards the process of prioritizing animal diseases, including zoonoses

Poultry Litter Contamination by Escherichia coli Resistant to Critically Important Antimicrobials for Human and Animal Use and Risk for Public Health in Cameroon

Residues of antimicrobials used in farm can exert selective pressure and accelerate the occurrence of multidrug resistant bacteria in litter. This study aimed to investigate the resistance profile of Escherichia coli isolated from poultry litter. A total of 101 E. coli strains was isolated from 229 litter samples collected and stored for two months in the laboratory at room temperature. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method. An overall resistance prevalence of 58.4% (95% CI: 48.8–68.0) was obtained with 59 E. coli strains resistant to various antimicrobial agents. High levels of resistance were observed with ciprofloxacin (21/59: 36%), imipenem (27/59: 45%), norfloxacin (44/59: 74%), ceftriaxone (44/59: 74%), and levofloxacin (44/59: 75%). These antimicrobials classified under the Watch group by WHO are indicators of the high AMR risk to public health in Cameroon. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that a greater probability of high level of E. coli multidrug resistance was associated with lack of training in poultry farming (OR = 0.13, p = 0.01), less experience in poultry farming (OR = 11.66 p = 0.04), and the high frequency of digestive tract disease (OR = 0.10; p = 0.001). This study revealed that poultry litter constitutes a potential source of dissemination of resistant germs from farm animals to the environment and humans