Antibiotic resistant salmonella and Escherichia coli isolated from indigenous Gallus domesticus in Nairobi, Kenya.
OBJECTIVE
To characterise and investigate antimicrobial resistance of Esherichia coli and salmonella strains isolated from indigenous Gallus gallus in a leading slaughterhouse/market outlet in Nairobi-Kenya.


METHODS
A repeated cross sectional study and based on random sampling was used.


METHODS
The study was carried out in a leading market outlet in Nairobi, Kenya.


RESULTS
A hundred and four indigenous chicken rectal swabs were analysed, of which 67.3% were contaminated with Escherichia coli and 12.5% with Salmonella typhimurium. Seventy Escherichia coli isolates showed resistance phenotypes to one, two or more antibiotics. The most common antimicrobial resistance pattern was the single resistance to Tet (21.43%), followed by Amp Cot Tet (14%), Aug Amp Cot Tet (4.29%), Aug Amp Cot Tet Kan Chl (2.86%), Amp Cot Tet Chl, Cot Tet (2.86%) and Crx Amp Cot Tet Chl, Crx Amp Cot Chi, Amp Cot, Aug Amp, (1.43%) respectively. The highest rate of resistance was against Tet (55.7%), followed by Cot (40%). Third in line of resistance was Amp 32.86%, followed by Aug (11.43%), low or moderate resistance was against Chl (8.57%), Kan (4.29%), and Crx (2.86%) (P<0.0002). Salmonella typhimurium recovered displayed single resistance pattern to Tet (16.67%), Gen Cot Tet (8.33%), Amp Cot Tet (8.33%), Aug Amp Cot Tet (8.33%) and Amp Cot Tet Chl (16.67%). The highest resistance was against Tet (58.3%), Cot (41.7%), Amp (33.3%), Chl (16.7%), Aug and Gen (8.3%) respectively (P<0.0001). 3.0kb and 5.6kb plasmids isolated were not transferable by conjugation.


CONCLUSIONS
Routine surveillance at slaughter/market outlets of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica should be done to identify infected flocks as a regulatory procedure for food safety and security programme.
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, P. O. Box 43844, Nairobi, Kenya.
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Wesonga
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Muluvi
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Okemo
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Kariuki
D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007630:Kenya; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000302:isolation & purification*