Prevalence of salmonella spp., salmonella typhimurium, escherichia coli and escherichia coli O157:|bH7 from bats, birds, soil and water in the selected study sites at Sarawak

Abstract

A total of 235 samples collected from bats, birds, water and soil of Sebangkoi Recreation Park, Kubah National Park and Bako National Park in Sarawak were studied for the presence of Salmonella spp., Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli 0157: H7. Among the samples, 12% (28/235) and 14% (33/235) were identified with the presence of Salmonella spp. and E. coli respectively. Further confirmation using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) indicated that 11% (3/28) of Salmonella Typhimurium, 3% (1/33) of E. coli 0157: H7 and 18% (6/33) E. coli 0157 were present in the samples. Besides, antibiotic resistance analysis for Salmonella spp. showed that there were 56% (14/25),92% (23/25), 0% (0/25), 4% (1125), 8% (2/25), 56% (I4125) and 12% (3/25) of the Salmonella isolates were resistant to ampicillin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, doxycycline, gentamicin, nitrofurantoin and streptomycin respectively. On the other hand, the E. coli isolates had 18% (6/33), 42% (14/33), 3% (1/33),0% (0/33), 9% (3/33), 18% (6/33) and 30% (10/33) resistant to ampicillin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, doxycycline, gentamicin, nitrofurantoin and streptomycin respectively. Then, the lowest and the highest multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index for Salmonella spp. and E. coli isolates were in the ranged from 0.1 to 0.7 which were resistant to at least one and the most five of the antimicrobial agents used. Furthermore, the MAR analysis revealed that 87% (20/23) of Salmonella isolates and 67% (12/18) of E. coli isolates had MAR index more than 0.2 whereas 13% (3123) of Salmonella isolates and 33% (6/18) of E. coli isolates had MAR index less than 0.2