ISSN: 2576-7771
Antimicrobial Resistance Profile Characterization of Enterococcus Species Isolated from Aquaculture Environment
Aquaculture environments can become reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant strains of faecal bacteria including enterococci
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which are capable of contributing to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the marine environment. The aim of this
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study was to characterize the antimicrobial resistance profile of Enterococcus species from various aquacultures (fish
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ponds) in Benin City, Edo State. A total of 376 water samples were obtained from four different fish ponds between
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February and July, 2015 and were investigated for the presence of Enterococcus species using standard culture based
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methods. The antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of the isolates were determined by using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion
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method. From the 376 water samples analyzed for the presence of enterococci isolates, 100 isolates each from
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Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium were isolated from the four fish ponds investigated. The mean
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enterococal counts from the four fish ponds investigated ranged from 4±0.01 × 102 to 12±0.17×102 cfu/ml. Statistical
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analysis reveals that there was a significant difference observed in the mean enterococcal counts obtained from the four
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different fish ponds in the study (p< 0.05). The distribution of the enterococcal isolates in the study from February to July
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reveals that 50 isolates from each pond were characterized. Statistical analysis also reveals that there was a significant
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difference observed in the distribution of the enterococcal isolates from the fish ponds (p< 0.05). High level resistance
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was observed against six antibiotics used in the study such that 15 enterococcal isolates displayed marked resistance to
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the action of trimethoprim, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, and ciprofloxacin.
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Adherence to adequate and proper use of manure products and frequent discharge of water from fish pond will reduce
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the high level of antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus species isolated from fish ponds and also reduce the potential
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risk to human health.
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Keywords:
Antimicrobial Resistance Profile; Enterococcus Species; Aquaculture Environment; Antibiotics