Characterization of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli from poultry birds in Ebonyi North, Nigeria.

Background: The widespread use of antibiotics for disease prevention and control has inadvertently upsurged the development of antibiotic resistance worldwide. Aim: This study aimed to determine the occurrences and spread of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli in poultry birds in Ebonyi North. Methods: A total of 120 samples (faecal droplet and tracheal swab) were collected from two different poultry farms in the rural area of Ebonyi North. Standard microbiological methods were used to isolate and identify the isolates, and confirmation was achieved by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Disc diffusion tests were used to determine antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0 software. Results: This study revealed an overall prevalence of E. coli of 36.7% in poultry birds. The highest prevalence of E. coli (41.7%) was observed from fecal droplets, and least in trachea swabs (31.7%). The isolates were highly susceptible to gentamicin and ciprofloxacin, with a range of 80.0%-100%. High level of resistance was observed among the isolates to ampicillin and tetracycline, with a range of 45.5%-75.0%. Thus, erythromycin and streptomycin showed average inhibitory activity on the E. coli with a range of 60.0%-81.8%. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was reported in 35.3% of the E. coli isolates. The Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Index was reported to range from 0.5 to 0.8, with an average index of 0.66. There was no statistically significant difference between the sample source and E. coli prevalence (p < 0.05) in the two farms. Conclusion: The widespread use of antibiotics in poultry farming as growth promotion and disease prevention is a key factor in the rise of MDR-producing E. coli in poultry birds. To combat this growing problem, there is an urgent need for better surveillance, stricter regulations, and improved farm practices, including biosecurity measures and alternative disease control strategies.