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This study evaluated the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and virulence potential of enterococci in poultry and their environment in the area. Swab samples from chicken (370) cloacae and soil (46) were subjected to standard culture. Isolates identified biochemically were subjected to an antibiogram using 10 antimicrobial agents and their potential virulence determinants were assessed using standard procedures. Enterococcal species were isolated from 97.84% and 65.22% of the cloacal and soil samples, respectively. Resistance to the following antimicrobial agents was observed in the isolates: quinu prist quinupristin-dalfopristin (46.4%), erythromycin (51.2%), chloramphenicol (46.4%), vancomycin (20.2%), enrofloxacin (13.1%), linezo lid (8.3%), teicoplanin (7.2%), and levofloxacin (5.95%). Totally 31 resistance patterns were detected, and 27 showed multiple resistance patterns. Enterococcal strains from soil demonstrated higher antimicrobial resistance than chicken strains, except for levofloxacin and linezolid. None of the strains showed resistance to high-level gentamicin and streptomycin. Phenotypic expression of enterococcal virulence revealed the following: surface layer, 70%; gelatinase production, 60%; biofilm, 55%; β-hemoly sis, 32.5%; DNase production, 20%, and protease production, 37.5%. This study revealed that poultry and their environment had viru lent enterococci with multiple drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing public health problem and a threat to effective treatment and prevention of an array of infections caused by bacteria. Africa is already faced with many socio-economic and health crises. Many countries in Africa can seldom boast of a standardized health care facility comparable to those in developed countries. Yet, the non-therapeutic use of COL has been banned in developed countries. However, in Africa, except for South Africa, COL is an over-the-counter (OTC) medication sold and dispensed by non-professionals/without a veterinarian's supervision. The ban of non-therapeutic COL in developed countries has proven to reduce the development of mobile colistin resistance (MCR) in humans and animals. The unregulated use of COL has been proven to select pathogenic and commensal bacteria resistance. A transmissible plasmid-mediated colistin determinant, mobile COL resistance (mcr) gene, which is rapidly transferred/acquired horizontally or laterally intra/inter-species/genera, has been reported. A highly promiscuous mobile genetic element like plasmids containing transposons, insertion sequences, and integrons aid the carriage/rapid transfer and acquisition of these mcr genes. Hence, we highlight the danger posed by escalating colistin (COL) resistance in the continent and the impetus to halt the indiscriminate and non-therapeutic use of COL to protect public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]