Abstract

Sarah Azhary Mohamed, Yassir A. Almofti*, Elniema A. Mustafa and Sheimaa S. A. O. Fagirii

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted between November 2016 and February 2018 and aimed to isolate some bacteria, mainly E. coli, Staphylococci and Salmonella from dairy farms manure and to assess their antibiotics resistance profile to different antimicrobial agents. This study included 19 dairy farms distributed in Bahri locality, Khartoum, Sudan. A total of 95 manure samples were collected from these farms and a questionnaire was introduced to each dairy farm owner before samples collection. The questionnaire showed that the density of the cows within the farms was appropriate. Mastitis was common in visited farms and the control of mastitis was made by the owners. The majority of the farms had no hoof care and the incidence of lameness was frequent. Also multiple diseases such as abortion, metritis, retention of placenta, pneumonia, eye infection and calf diarrhea that requires antibiotic treatment were prevalent in the visited farms. The majority of the cows received at least two courses of antibiotics treatment per year. In addition to that the most commonly used antibiotics were tetracycline and tylosin, penicillin and the least used antibiotic was ciprofloxacin. These antibiotics were mostly administered by the owners rather than veterinarians. A total of 68 bacterial isolates were identified using the conventional bacteriological isolation method. These include 28 isolates as E. coli (41.18%), 26 isolates as Staphylococci (38.23%) and 14 isolates as Salmonella (20.58%). The isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility test using broth microdilution method. The three isolates showed resistance to Erythromycin, Azithromycin and Tetracycline but demonstrated susceptibility to Ciprofloxacin. Therefore, it could be concluded that untreated manure could impose a great risk if it is used as a fertilizer in vegetables farms as the resistant bacteria in manure may transferred to humans through contaminated vegetables.