Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance of Pigs and Chickens in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 2018–2021

Abstract

The use of antimicrobials in the livestock sector has been identified as a driver for the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and AMR has become a growing public health and economic threat in the Lao PDR. We conducted surveillance for AMR in five provinces of the Lao PDR, in order to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. isolated from caecal samples from slaughtered pigs at slaughterhouses and from slaughtered chickens at markets during two different time periods: 2018/2019 and 2020/2021. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using a panel of 14 antimicrobials using the broth microdilution technique. E. coli and Salmonella from chickens (62% and 33%, respectively) and pigs (88% and 81%, respectively) exhibited resistance to ≥3 classes of antimicrobials. Of important public health concern was the detection of Salmonella resistant to cefotaxime/ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, and colistin, deemed as critically important antimicrobials in human medicine. This study aimed to evaluate a national sampling strategy at slaughterhouses and wet markets, and to pilot the laboratory methodologies for bacterial recovery and AMR testing. Experiences from this study will inform capacity development for a national AMR surveillance program, and these early data could serve as reference points for monitoring the impact of the Lao PDR’s national action plan to contain AMR.

One Health Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance Phenotypes in Selected Communities in Thailand

“…Ceftriaxone-resistant E. coli and Klebsiella species in pigs and chickens were common in this study, but the prevalence of ceftriaxone resistance was lower than the rates reported from a previous study conducted in Thailand [14]. In contrast, the prevalence of colistin resistance observed in our study was higher than the rates reported previously from Thailand [25] and Laos PDR [27]. The observed differences between and among studies may be due to differences in study location and the times of the studies.…”

Global Strategies to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance: A One Health Perspective

“…Studies have shown that implementation of AMR surveillance in chickens can help detect antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and inform policy [230] [231]. Through national surveillance, countries would know if the poultry products that humans consume are contaminated with pathogens [230].…”

“…Studies have shown that implementation of AMR surveillance in chickens can help detect antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and inform policy [230] [231]. Through national surveillance, countries would know if the poultry products that humans consume are contaminated with pathogens [230]. In Colombia, a study reported that the surveillance of AMR in poultry was critical as it helped authorities understand the trends in resistance patterns of microorganisms to common antimicrobials used in humans and poultry [202].…”

Antibiotic resistance gene-free probiont administration to tilapia for growth performance and Streptococcus agalactiae resistance

“…Moreover, the relationship between fish and their environment has been investigated in species [43,44] such as channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus [45], Alburnus alburnus [46], sea bass [47], yellow tail fish [48], common carp and koi carp [49], shrimp [50], Ebro barbel (Luciobarbus graellsii), brown trout (Salmo trutta) [51], and tilapia (Oreochomis niloticus) [52,53]. Other sectors, such as animal husbandry and household waste, influence resistance genes in aquaculture [54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66]. The interconnected roles of different sectors can impact the quality of the environment and contribute to the distribution of microorganisms, including the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.…”