MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF LIVESTOCK-ASSOCIATED METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (LA-MRSA) FROM POULTRY IN EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA

📄 Project Abstract

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is now a leading cause of staphylococcal infections in humans and animals. In this study, cloacae and nostrils of 1800 poultry birds selected at random in 9 farms spread across Ebonyi State and 19 poultry farm workers from these farms were screened for Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, 150 clinical isolates of staphylococci from Microbiology Laboratories in 3 hospitals, one in each senatorial district of Ebonyi State were screened for Staphylococcus aureus using standard bacteriological techniques. The number of birds positive for S. aureus was 247, representing a percentage carriage of 14% (247/1800). Out of the 150 clinical isolates of staphylococci screened, 78 of them were identified as S. aureus representing a percentage incidence of 52%. Only 4 (21%) of the 19 volunteer poultry farm workers were found to carry S. aureus. More S. aureus were recovered by swabbing both cloacae and nostrils than either of cloacae or nostrils used ...