INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli and others pathogens bacteria can be transferred from animals to humans through consumption of contaminated food and foods products and thus present a public health risk. The increase in E. coli resistance to commonly used antimicrobials both in the public health and veterinary sectors is one of the major threats of health care worldwide. The present study was undertaken to estimate the antimicrobial resistance of E. coli isolates from raw chicken meat in Dakar. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Levying of skin and muscle have been carried out on 120 chicken carcasses bought from 13 sale points and 23 flocks beetween November 2003 and April 2004. 102 Escherichia coli strains have been isolated, among which, 90 were tested for their susceptibilities to 16 selected antibiotics by agar diffusion method. RESULTS: All Escherichia coli strains (100%), were resistant to one or more antibiotic; 60 strains (66.66%) being resistant to more than five antibiotics. Those frequently encountererd are: ampicillin, trimethoprim, trimethoprim-sulfametoxazole, tetracycline, sulfonamides, streptomycin, nalidixic acid. Multiple resistances to 12 antibiotics were also observed. The lowest resistances were noted with gentamicin (3.33%) and neomycin (5.56%). CONCLUSION: This study showed the significance of chicken meat as source of Escherichia coli strains with a simple or multiple resistance to various antibiotics tested. Further studies are necessary in order to determine bacterium mechanisms of resistance.
INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli and others pathogens bacteria can be transferred from animals to humans through consumption of contaminated food and foods products and thus present a public health risk. The increase in E. coli resistance to commonly used antimicrobials both in the public health and veterinary sectors is one of the major threats of health care worldwide. The present study was undertaken to estimate the antimicrobial resistance of E. coli isolates from raw chicken meat in Dakar. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Levying of skin and muscle have been carried out on 120 chicken carcasses bought from 13 sale points and 23 flocks beetween November 2003 and April 2004. 102 Escherichia coli strains have been isolated, among which, 90 were tested for their susceptibilities to 16 selected antibiotics by agar diffusion method. RESULTS: All Escherichia coli strains (100%), were resistant to one or more antibiotic; 60 strains (66.66%) being resistant to more than five antibiotics. Those frequently encountererd are: ampicillin, trimethoprim, trimethoprim-sulfametoxazole, tetracycline, sulfonamides, streptomycin, nalidixic acid. Multiple resistances to 12 antibiotics were also observed. The lowest resistances were noted with gentamicin (3.33%) and neomycin (5.56%). CONCLUSION: This study showed the significance of chicken meat as source of Escherichia coli strains with a simple or multiple resistance to various antibiotics tested. Further studies are necessary in order to determine bacterium mechanisms of resistance.