Characterization of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli in different poultry farming systems in the Eastern Province and Kigali City of Rwanda

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance has become a global public health concern as a wide num­ber of resistant bacteria are continuously emerging. Animals have been pointed out as one of the sources of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can be transferred to humans. To enrich the data on antibiotic resistance in animals in Rwanda, a cross-sectional study was carried out in the Eastern Province and in Kigali City to isolate Escherichia coli from free-range and commercial poultry farms. Fecal samples were collected from 294 poultry farms and E. coli strains were isolated and identified. In total 241 E. coli isolates were subjected to an antibi­otic sensitivity test using five antibiotics (gentamicin, streptomycin, rifampicin, doxycycline and erythromycin). Antibiotic use in poultry was low in free-range poultry farms (30.9%) compared to layer and broiler production farms (100%). Among 151 farmers who reported using antibiotics in poultry, almost half (49.7%) always used antibiotics with a veterinarian prescription. Out of 241 E. coli isolates, 43.2% had a multiple resistance to four of the five antibiotics tested. Almost all the isolates (98.8%) were resistant to erythromycin, 78.8% were resistant to streptomycin, 77.6% were resistant to doxycycline, 69.3% were resistant to rifampicin and only a few were resistant to gentamicin (3.7%). No statistically significant difference was observed regarding isolate resistance against antibiotics according to the farming system type. However, resistance of isolates to doxycycline was significantly higher in farms where antibiotic use was reported (84%) than in farms where antibiotic use was not reported (70%). The observed antibiotic resistance of E. coli shows the existence of a potential source of resistance that can be transferred to pathogenic bacteria and impact humans as well as animals.