Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Published:

Public Health Aspects of Bacterial Drug Resistance in Modern Battery and Town/Village Poultry in the Tropics

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 30, pages 127–132 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

A correlation of antibiotic use and drug resistance was found among Escherichia coli strains isolated from battery poultry in the University of Ibadan Teaching and Research Farm. All the E. coli strains from battery birds were resistant to Tetracycline, Streptomycin and Sulphonamide (Sulphafurazole) by the disc sensitivity test. In contrast, all the strains isolated from free range town and village poultry were sensitive to the range of drugs tested, while the Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations of the drugs against these free range isolates were the same as those for the control E. coli strain N.C.T.C. 10418. Ninety-eight to 100% of the strains from both battery poultry and from town/village birds were sensitive to Colistin, Chloramphenicol, Nitrofurantoin and Nalidixic Acid. Since antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli from animal sources are known to be indistinguishable from those found in man, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics is potentially capable of giving rise to a higher incidence of intractable infection with resistant bacteria. These drug-resistant organisms may be transmitted from animal to man, and complicate the therapy of human diseases.

References

  • Burton CC, Hirsh DC, Blenden DC, Ziegler JL: The effects of Tetracycline on the establishment of Escherichia coli of animal origin and IN VIVO transfer of antibiotic resistance in the intestinal tract of man. In “The Normal Microbial Flora of Man”. Edit. Skinner, F. A. and Carr, J. G. Academic Press Inc. New York, N.Y. 1974, p. 241–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowan ST: Cowan and Steel’s Identification of Medical Bacteria. 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press 1975.

  • Garrod LP, Lambert HP, O’Grady F: Antibiotic and Chemotherapy. 4th Ed. E. & S. Livingstone, Edinburgh and London 1973.

  • Harbour HE, Abell JM, Cavanagh P, Clegg PG, Gould CM, Ellis P, Pyke M, Rilley CT, Laver U: Salmonella - the food poisoner. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sei. Clumbury Cotterel Press, Berkham-sted, Herts, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmberg SD, Osterholm MT, Senger KA, Cohen ML: Drug resistant salmonella from animals fed antimicrobials. New Eng. J. Med. 1984a, 577, 617–622.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmberg SD, Wells JG, Cohen ML: Animal-to-Man transmission of antimicrobial-resistant salmonella. Investigations of U.S. outbreaks 1971-1983. Science 1984b, 225, (833–835).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Howe K, Linton AH, Osborne AD: The effect of tetracycline on the coliform gut flora of broiler chickens with special reference to antibiotic resistance and O-serotypes of Escherichia coli. J. Appl. Bacteriol. 1976, 41, (453–464).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Linton AH: Antibiotic Resistance: The present situation reviewed. Vet. Rec. 1977a, 100, (354–360).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Linton AH: Antibiotics and Antibiosis in Agriculture. Proceedings of the University of Nottingham, School of Agriculture 1977b.

  • Ojeniyi Adé A: Epidemiology of Avian and Human Salmonellosis and Coliba cillosis in Ibadan and Environs. Dr. Phil. Thesis. College of Medicine Medical Library, University of Ibadan, Nigeria 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel D, Huber WG, Drysdale S: Human Therapeutic and Agricultural uses of antibacterial drugs and resistance of the enteric flora of humans. Antimicrobial Agents & Chemother. 1975, 5, (538–543).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel D, Huber WG, Enloe F: The continuous non-therapeutic use of antibacterial drugs in feed and drug resistance of gram-negative enteric florae of food-producing animals. Antimicrobial Agents & Chemother. 1974, 6, (697–701).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith HW: Oral administration of neomycin to chickens experimentally infected with Salmonella typhimurium. Vet. Rec. 1978, 102, (354–356).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith HW, Tucker JF: The effect of antibiotic therapy on the faecal excretion of Salmonella typhimurium by experimentally infected chickens. J. Hyg. (Camb.). 1975, 75, (275–292).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation: Standardisation of methods for conducting microbic sensitivity tests. 2nd. report, World Health Organisation Technical Report Series No. 210. W.H.O., Geneva 1961.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation: Surveillance for the prevention and control of health hazards due to antibiotic-resistant enterobacteria. World Health Organisation Technical Report Series No. 624. W.H.O., Geneva 1978.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

I wish to express my gratitude to Professor David G. Montefiore, Ag. Provost, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, who made laboratory facilities available to me in the Department of Medical Microbiology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gastro-Enterology Division, Department of Medicine, Rigshospitalet (National University Hospital), Telemarksgade 9, DK-2300, Sundby, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Adé A. Ojeniyi

Authors
  1. Adé A. Ojeniyi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ojeniyi, A.A. Public Health Aspects of Bacterial Drug Resistance in Modern Battery and Town/Village Poultry in the Tropics. Acta Vet Scand 30, 127–132 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548048

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548048

Keywords

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147