ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE PATTERNS OF CAMPYLOBACTER SPECIES IN CANINE FAECES IN MAKURDI, BENUE STATE: ASSESSING THE PREVALENCE AND RESISTANCE TRENDS

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Campylobacter species in canine faecal samples from Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. A total of 207 faecal samples were collected from dogs across four sources: households, dog breeders, dog markets, and veterinary clinics. Samples were cultured on charcoal-based selective agar (CCDA), and confirmed isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method against eight commonly used antibiotics. The overall prevalence of Campylobacter was 8.70% (18/207). Male dogs showed a slightly higher prevalence (9.09%) than females (8.25%). Age-related analysis indicated that dogs older than 24 months had the highest prevalence (15.87%), whereas puppies aged ≤6 months and dogs aged 7–12 months exhibited the lowest prevalence rates (4.05% and 4.17%, respectively). Based on source, household dogs recorded the highest prevalence (10.13%), followed by dogs from markets (5.26%) and breeders (4.17%), while no Campylobacter isolates were detected among samples from veterinary clinics. Breed-specific analysis revealed the highest prevalence in German Shepherds (30.77%), followed by Eskimos (28.57%) and Lhasa Apsos (14.29%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated considerable variability in resistance patterns among isolates. Ofloxacin and gentamicin showed the highest levels of susceptibility (76.9%), followed by ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone (69.2% each). In contrast, high resistance rates were observed for Augmentin (76.9%), ceftazidime (69.2%), levofloxacin (61.5%), and nitrofurantoin (53.8%). Notably, approximately 28% of the positive isolates exhibited no sensitivity to any of the tested antibiotics, suggesting the presence of highly resistant strains or fastidious organisms. These findings confirm that dogs in Makurdi serve as important reservoirs of Campylobacter species, with household dogs posing a heightened zoonotic risk due to close human contact. The observed prevalence, together with the worrying antimicrobial resistance profiles, highlights the urgent need for strengthened antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary practice, improved public health education on safe dog handling, and the establishment of integrated surveillance systems within a One Health framework. This study provides valuable baseline data for monitoring future trends in Campylobacter prevalence and antimicrobial resistance in Benue State and similar ecological settings in Nigeria.