Vet World Vol.16 September-2023 Article-5
Research Article
Veterinary World, 16(9): 1803-1814
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2023.1803-1814
Drivers of antimicrobial resistance in layer poultry farming: Evidence from high prevalence of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and enterococci in Zambia
2. Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
3. Department of Medicine and Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Eden University, Lusaka, Zambia.
4. Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
5. Department of Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospitals, Lusaka, Zambia.
6. Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
7. Department of Public Health, Michael Chilufya Sata School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola, Zambia.
8. Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
9. Department of Anatomy and Physiological Sciences, Institute of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, Lusaka, Zambia.
10. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, House No. 5 Chaholi, off Addis Ababa drive, Lusaka, Zambia.
11. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
12. Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
Background and Aim: Inappropriate use of antimicrobials exacerbates antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the poultry sector. Information on factors driving AMR in the layer poultry sector is scarce in Zambia. This study examined the drivers of AMR in the layer poultry sector in the Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study employed a structured questionnaire in 77 layer poultry farms in the provinces of Lusaka and Copperbelt, Zambia, from September 2020 to April 2021. Data analysis was conducted using Stata version 16.1. Antimicrobial resistance was defined as the presence of multidrug resistance (MDR) isolates. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify drivers of AMR.
Results: In total, 365 samples were collected, from which 339 (92.9%) Escherichia coli and 308 (84.4%) Enterococcus spp. were isolated. Multidrug resistance was identified in 39% of the E. coli and 86% of the Enterococcus spp. The overall prevalence of AMR in layer poultry farms was 51.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.3%–63.5%). Large-scale farmers (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.04%–0.99%) than small-scale and farmers who were aware of AMR than those who were unaware (AOR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.08%–0.86%) were less likely to experience AMR problems.
Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of AMR in layer poultry farming linked to the type of farm management practices and lack of AMR awareness. Evidence of high MDR in our study is of public health concern and requires urgent attention. Educational interventions must increase AMR awareness, especially among small- and medium-scale poultry farmers. Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, drivers, Escherichia coli, poultry, risk factors, Zambia.
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, drivers, Escherichia coli, poultry, risk factors, Zambia.
How to cite this article: Mudenda S, Bumbangi FN, Yamba K, Munyeme M, Malama S, Mukosha M, Hadunka MA, Daka V, Matafwali SK, Siluchali G, Mainda G, Mukuma M, Hang’ombe BM, and Muma JB (2023) Drivers of antimicrobial resistance in layer poultry farming: Evidence from high prevalence of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and enterococci in Zambia, Veterinary World, 16(9): 1803-1814.
Received: 01-06-2023 Accepted: 10-08-2023 Published online: 14-09-2023
Corresponding author: Steward Mudenda E-mail: steward.mudenda@unza.zm
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.1803-1814
Copyright: Mudenda, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.