| dc.description.abstract | Background: Environmental contamination with pathogenic microorganisms in routine medical
care settings poses an increased risk of health care associated infections through cross-transmission
as most outdoor hospital environment has been found to be an underestimated vital reservoir for
certain pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance can complicate treatment and lead to poor
management and prognostic outcomes of patients.
Objective: The study was carried out to determine the existence of antimicrobial and antifungal
resistant pathogenic microorganisms in faecal matter of pigeons and marabou stork birds that dwell
and feed from Mulago hospital environment.
Method: Specimens (n=150) of faecal matter were collected aseptically and analyzed in the
laboratory. Colony characteristics and Gram technique were used to differentiate the organisms.
Biochemical tests were done to confirm the species of the bacteria and Cryptococcus organisms.
Sensitivity testing was done on the isolates using the disc diffusion method.
Results: Pathogenic organisms were recovered from 92.4% of the specimens. The isolates were:
E.coli37 (24.67%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 5 (3.33%), Staphylococcus aureus 8 (5.33%),
Coagulase negative Staphylococcusspp43 (28.67%), Candida spp13 (8.67%), Citrobacter spp34
(22.67%), Proteus spp2 (1.33%) and Acinetobacter spp 1 (0.67%). Samples from Marabou stork
generally had slightly more isolates than samples from pigeons.
All E.coli isolates were susceptible to Cefotaxime, Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid, Ceftriaxone,
Ciprofloxacin, Chloramphenicol, Amikacin, Doripenem, and Imipenem. Some isolates were
resistant to Trimethoprim (10%), Gentamicin (70%) and Ampicilin (10%). E.coli isolates from
marabou stork were susceptible to all antibiotics. Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from both
marabou storks and pigeons were susceptible to all antibiotics. All Staphylococcus aureus isolates
were susceptible to Cefoxitin and Gentamicin. 83.3% of the isolates were resistant Clindamycin,
Oxacillin and Tetracycline. 16.7% were resistant to Penicillin, Ciprofloxacin and Ceftriaxone,
66.7% were resistant to Erythromycin and 33.3% were resistant to Vancomycin and Trimethoprim.
Conclusion: Since a high proportion of samples had positive cultures, the access of the hospital
environment by these pathogen carrying birds should be controlled. Attention should also be given
to the outdoor hospital environment as potential habour for pathogens which could be transmitted
to the hospital users. There is need to develop national surveillance of antibiotic- resistant
organisms and also consider pigeons and marabou storks a risk species for spreading in the hospital
environment antimicrobial resistant organisms | en_US |
