ANTI-MICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR) IN BHUTANESE LIVESTOCK: A REVIEW

Abstract

The inappropriate use of antimicrobials in humans and livestock have led to development of resistance by bacterial pathogens. The studies on imported chicken carcass in 2007 revealed prevalence of Salmonella (13%) with Salmonella enteritidis serotype (84.62%) and Salmonella typhimurium (15.38%). The pathogens were found to be resistant to nalidixic acid, amoxicillin and cephalexin. Similarly, a study conducted in the domestically produced broiler chicken carcass during 2016 also detected Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella paratyphimurium type B with prevalence of 73.9% and 26.1%, respectively. They were resistant to Tetracycline (95.6%), Trimethoprim (86.9%) and Amoxycillin (65.2%). The investigation of Escherichia coli in three government pig-breeding farms revealed (2.4%, 2/83) ESBL producers harbouring beta lactamase genes for CTX-M-15 and TEM-1, of which two isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR) and belonged to sequence type (ST) ST156 and ST4173, respectively. This indicates the emergence of MDR ESBL producing Escherichia coli among breeding pigs in Bhutan. Likewise, common pathogens like Escherichia coli (33%), Staph. aureus (19%), Enterobacter (15%), Corynbacterium (11%), Streptococcous (8%), Pseudomonas (5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (4%) were isolated from milk samples collected from dairy farms from various parts of the country. The pathogens were found resistant to antibiotics like Penicillin G (23%), Ampicillin (20%), Amoxicillin (20%), Erythromycin (17%), Tetracycline (7%), Gentamicin (7%) and Streptomycin (6%). Rational use of antibiotics must be promoted for controlling AMR.