Emerging Multidrug Resistant Metallo-β-Lactamases (MBLs) Positive Klebsiella Species from Cloacal Swabs of Poultry Birds

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the community is a public health issue because this phenomenon compromises our ability to effectively treat infectious diseases since these organisms such as those that express metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) are usually resistant to a wide variety of antibiotics. This study investigated the frequency of Klebsiella species from a local poultry farm that produced metallo-β-lactamase using phenotypic detection technique. Forty (40) samples from the cloacae of poultry birds were used for this study. Each sample was bacteriologically analyzed on MacConkey agar, and the isolated organism was identified by standard microbiology techniques. Susceptibility testing was done using disk diffusion technique, and the production of MBL was confirmed using disk diffusion technique in which EDTA was used as a chelating agent. Totally, 24 Klebsiella species isolates were isolated from the samples. High resistance of the Klebsiella species isolates was observed to oxacillin (100 %), ofloxacin (95.8 %), gentamicin (87.5 %), ertapenem (62.5 %), cefoxitin (58.3 %) and ciprofloxacin (87.5 %). The expression of MBL was only confirmed phenotypically in 5 (41.7%) Klebsiella species isolates. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics especially in the rearing of animals allows microbes to develop resistance through selective pressure. However, the timely and accurate detection of drug resistant microbes is critical to forestalling the emergence and spread these organisms in the community.

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“…Also in a recent study conducted in Japan, Okazaki et al [18] reported the occurrence of K. pneumoniae positive for MBL production in a non-hospital environment. We have previously reported the occurrence of MBL-producing Klebsiella species from poultry birds -in which 5 (41.7%) isolates out of 24 isolates of Klebsiella species produced MBL phenotypically [19]. This shows the impact of antibiotic misuse in the community.…”

Occurrence and genetic diversity of ESBL producing Klebsiella species isolated from livestock and livestock products

“…Thongkao and Sudjaroen () also identified K. pneumoniae as a major human pathogen present in fishes obtained from retail markets. Chika, Ifeanyichukwu, Benigna, Loveday, and Stanley () in a study involving poultry cloacal swabs reported a higher prevalence rate of 60%.…”

Editor Note: Journal of Bacteriology and Parasitology

“…While searching for newer antibiotics is one approach to tackle the problem the other option is to screen and identify potential multidrug resistant strains of pathogenic microbes so that medical researchers can use the information to estimate the relative susceptibility of resistivity of those strains and subsequently develop specific modified drug formulations that can be used to prevent the spread of such microbes. The article by Chika et al [4] presented the results of such a screening that was aimed towards the identification of multi-drug-resistant Klebsiella species isolated from cloacal swabs of poultry birds. The process of identification of MDR species was based on the presence or absence of the metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) that serves to resist the function of most antibiotics.…”