ABSTRACT

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is widely considered a global public health threat, with the use of antimicrobial in poultry production considered one of the contributing factors. Antimicrobial agents are used for growth promotion, prevention, and treatment of poultry diseases. They are also used to prevent and treat human diseases. This unchecked dependence on antimicrobial results in their unregulated use and abuse in human and animal health, resulting in AMR. In this study, a systematic review of different studies focusing on AMR in some poultry pathogens from poultry droppings and feeds was analyzed. The aim of this study was to identify the bacterial contaminants present in poultry droppings and feed and also to determine the antibiotics sensitivity of the isolates. The total heterotrophic bacterial count was obtained using the pour plate method.The cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics were evaluated using standard differential media along with appropriate reagents. Gram staining was also carried out to determine whether the organisms present were Gram positive or Gram negative. The antibiogram of the isolates were analysed by spread plating the isolates and the introduction of the test antibiotics. Pseudomonas aeruginosa had the highest antibiotics resistance index. The results obtained from the study revealed that the heterotrophic bacterial count (Log₁₀ cfu/g) of the sample analysed ranged from 8.1 ± 0.02 cfu/g to 8.9 ± 0.08 cfu/g for poulty droppings and 5.3 ± 0.02 cfu/g to 6.95 ± 0.08 for feed. The cultural, morphological and biochemical isolates revealed the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus cerus, Staphyloccus sp. and Proteus sp. The distribution of the isolates revealed that Escherichia coli was present in both poultry dropping and feed. The study showed that birds droppings from poultry farms in Benin City had high population of bacteria, and includes indicator coliforms and pathogenic bacteria such as Eschericha coli and Staphyloccus sp.Hence, poultry farms in Benin City should improve hygienic practices within their environments.