Incidence and Antibiotics Profile of Isolated Escherichia Coli 0157 from Meat and Fish in Kwali Area Council Area of F.C.T.

Abstract

The emergence of O157 strains of Escherichia coli poses serious threat to public health with regards to their devastating and a zoonotic importance. Escherichia coli 0157 is a highly virulent Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli (EHEC), an acronym used to denote a sub-set of of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli (STEC), which is also known as verotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC), that causes severe diseases in humans including hemorrhagic colitis, bloody diarrhea and the
hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The present investigation was carried out to study the incidence and antibiotic profile of E. coli O157 strains isolated from raw meat, frozen fish, and cat fish samples in Kwali Area Council of F.C.T. A total of Ninety-six meat and fish samples were collected. Samples were stomached then isolation and identification of E. coli O157 was carried out using selective enrichment, plating on selective and specific medium (SMAC) and Latex agglutination test kit was used to confirm E. coli O157 isolates. Eighteen out of Ninety-six meat and fish samples were positive for sorbitol negative strains of E. coli (8.94%). The strains reactive to the agglutination test were all non-sorbitol fermenters. The overall Prevalence of E. coli O157 strains in the cow meat and intestine sampled was 10.94%, in Shawa fish skins (8.34%), Mackerel
Titus fish intestine and gills (12.26%), and the prevalence of E. coli O157 in Cat fish intestine and skin was higher than the other samples, which was positively associated (p < 0.05) with presence in the cow samples (18.30%). The Escherichia coli O157 strains from meat were only susceptible to Ampicillin (83%), and were 83% resistance to Amoxicillin, Sulphamethaxazole/Trimethoprim, Nitrofurantoin and 66.7% resistance to Cefoxilin, Tetracycline, Gentamycin. The fish isolates shows Erythromycin, Ampicillin, Nitrofurantoin (100%) resistance, Sulphamethaxazole/Trimethoprim 75% resistance, Amoxicillin, Tetracycline and Streptomycin showing 58% resistance, while Amikacin (58%), Ciprofloxacin, and Gentamycin (50%) susceptible. The antibiotic resistant E. coli 0157 found in this study are of public health significant.