OCCURRENCE AND ANTIBIOTIC PROFILES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

ABSTRACT Bats are a poorly understood reservoir of pathogenic and multi-drug resistant microorganisms. The aim of the study was to determine the antibiotic susceptibility profile of Escherichia coli isolated from droppings of bats in Akoko metropolis. In this study sic (6) samples of bat droppings (three each) were obtained from Arigidi and Ikare Akoko respectively. Bat droppings were subjected to bacteriologic analysis to detect species of Escherichia coli using pour plate method on MacConkey agar medium. In this study, antibiotic susceptibility test was conducted using Kirby-Bauer dick diffusion method according to CLSI instruction. The total of nine (9) Escherichia coli strains including Escherichia coli O157.H7 were recovered from bat dropping samples which were identified based on their morphological and biochemical characteristics. Species of Escherichia coli (70%) were found most occurred in Arigidi Akoko compared with strain of Escherichia coli O157.H7 (30%). It was found that Escherichia coli O157.H7 was more prevalent in samples from Ikare compared with Escherichia coli having the percentage of 60% and 40% respectively. However, regardless of the species the results in study revealed that Escherichia coli strain was higher in bat samples obtained from Arigidi Akoko than in Ikare Akoko. Escherichia coli isolates recovered isolates were screened for antimicrobial sensitivity to eight antimicrobial agents. 80%, 90%, 100%, 90%, 100% and 100% of Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli O157.H7 isolates from Arigidi Akoko were susceptible to Tetracycline, Ceftazidine, Ciproflaxacin, Chloramphenicol, Streptomycin and Azithromycin respectively. It was found that, 10%, 0%, 0%, 10%, 0% and 0% were intermediately sensitive to Tetracycline, Ceftazidine, Ciproflaxacin, Chloramphenicol, Streptomycin and Azithromycin respectively where 10%, 10%, 0%, 10%, 0% and 0% were resistant to Tetracycline, Ceftazidine, Ciproflaxacin, Chloramphenicol, Streptomycin and Azithromycin respectively. Of all the isolates obtained from Ikare Akoko, 100%, 90%, 100%, 95%, 100% and 100% were sensitive to Tetracycline, Ceftazidine, Ciproflaxacin, Chloramphenicol, Streptomycin and Azithromycin respectively while 0%, 10%, 0%, 0%, 0% and 0% were resistant to Tetracycline, Ceftazidine, Ciproflaxacin, Chloramphenicol, Streptomycin and Azithromycin respectively only 0%, 0%, 0%, 5%, 0% and 0% was intermediately sensitive to Tetracycline, Ceftazidine, Ciproflaxacin, Chloramphenicol, Streptomycin and Azithromycin respectively. This study has revealed that bat is another environmental reservoir and it is an unpredictable source of potential pathogenic and multidrug resistant Escherichia coli which should be extensively studied to predict the direction of the development and range of spreading resistance.