A study to investigate antimicrobial resistance among selected zoonotic bacteria isolated from tortoises and birds at the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, Uganda

Abstract

Zoonotic diseases are a health challenge at the human-wildlife interface, with increasing threat to public health. This study aimed at generating baseline data on AMR in tortoises and birds at UWEC. The objectives of the study were determining the common antimicrobial resistant bacteria among birds and tortoises; to establish the antibiograms of isolated bacteria and lastly to genotypically screen the selected genes that code for resistance using a conventional polymerization chain reaction. Standard bacteriological methods of culturing and isolation of bacteria, Kirby Bauer sensitivity method and molecular techniques were used at the Central Diagnostic Laboratory at the College of veterinary Medicine at Makerere university. E. coli was the main organism isolated from the birds 23/23 (100%). In regard to the tortoises, 2/15(13%) and 13/15(86%) isolates were E. coli and Salmonella enteritidis respectively. In addition, the study confirmed the existence of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli and Salmonella isolates obtained from tortoises and birds at UWEC. Furthermore, this was observed against Sulphonamides, while using conventional bacteriology and a PCR. AMR was determined by screening for selected genes that code for resistance against tetracyclines which was the tet-M gene and those that code for resistance against Sulphonamides which were sul-1, sul-2 and sul-3 with the sul-2 gene being positive. The UWEC management and workers are encouraged to take care and use personal protection equipment when handling the birds and tortoises to minimize the possibility of transfer of MDR isolates from animals to humans.