ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE OF ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATED FROM BEEF AND ITS RELATED SAMPLES IN TECHIMAN MUNICIPALITY OF GHANA

Abstract

In the present study, antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using the disc diffusion method and the results interpreted using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. A total of 45 Escherichia coli isolates were screened against nine different antibiotics. Overall, 34.57% of the Escherichia coli isolates were resistant, 7.16% were intermediate and 58.27% were susceptible. Resistance to vancomycin (88.89%) and erythromycin (68.89%) was high. Susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (95.56%), amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (86.67%), suphamethoxazole/ trimethoprim (82.22%) and gentamicin (75.56%) was also high. The Escherichia coli isolates also exhibited 25 antibiotic resistant patterns with the pattern VaE (vancomycin and erythromycin) and VaCCro (vancomycin, chloramphenicol and ceftriaxone) being the commonest (each exhibited by five different isolates). Multiple Antibiotic Resistance index (MAR index) ranged from 0.11-0.78. Resistance to seven (MAR index of 0.78) and five (MAR index of 0.56) different antibiotics was exhibited by 1 and 3 isolates, respectively. Some Escherichia coli isolates from different sources did exhibit the same resistance pattern. This study established the fact that Escherichia coli from meat and it related samples in Techiman Municipality were resistant to some antibiotics. Therefore, the use of antibiotics in the treatment of animals in the Municipality ought to be checked and controlled to prevent more isolates from becoming resistant. To the best of author’s knowledge, this is the first report on the antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from beef and its related samples in Techiman Municipality of Ghana.