Antibiotic resistance associated with small-scale poultry farming in rural Ecuador Public
Grossman, Marissa (2012)
Abstract
Background: Antibiotic resistance poses a significant
health threat worldwide.
Many studies have investigated the impacts of animal antibiotic use
in large
industrial settings, yet very few have looked that the effects in
small-scale farms. It
is important to understand the dynamics of resistance spread in
small-scale settings,
especially in developing countries where the risk of bacterial
transmission is higher
due to inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices. The main goal
of this study is to
understand the impact of small-scale poultry farming on antibiotic
resistant bacteria
in the environment to determine potential mechanisms of resistance
transmission
between chickens and humans. Methods: Environmental samples
(soil, drinking
water, and kitchen surfaces) were collected from houses in rural
Ecuador that either
actively raised chickens in their backyard, previously raised
chickens, or never
raised chickens. If the household raised chickens, chicken coop
soil and surfaces
were also collected. Samples were also taken from one village that
had a collective
community farm located away from the houses. This village switched
to backyard
farming during the study, providing a useful comparison of farming
operations. E.
coli was isolated from all samples and tested for resistance
against a panel of 12
antibiotics. The outcomes considered for analysis were resistance
to
fluoroquinolones, antibiotics used in chickens in the study area,
and multidrug
resistance. Results: There were extremely high levels of
resistance in the coop area
of the community farm. Approximately 50% were resistant to
fluoroquinolones and
67% were resistant to chicken antibiotics and multidrug resistant,
which is roughly
equivalent to estimates from chickens in industrial broiler
facilities. In addition,
there were higher levels of resistance in the indoor environment in
houses that had
backyard farms than those with the community farm. This suggests
the proximity of
the farm to the household is a factor in potential spread of
resistant bacteria.
Conclusion: Intensive use of antibiotics in small-scale
operations is associated with
high levels of resistant bacteria, and the potential for
transmission of resistant
bacteria is heightened when the farm is in the backyard.
Table of Contents
Introduction................. 1
Methods................. 6
Study Area........... 6
Village and Household selection........... 7
Sample Collection & Laboratory Analysis........... 9
Statistical Analysis........... 13
Results................. 15
Overall prevalence of antibiotic resistance in environmental samples........... 16
Comparison of antibiotic resistance prevalence based on household farming status........... 19
Comparison of antibiotic resistance prevalence between backyard farms and a community farm........... 21
Antibiotic resistance prevalence in Punta de Piedra........... 23
Factors associated with resistance in environmental samples........... 25
Discussion................. 27
Conclusion................. 32
References................. 33
Appendix A: Household Survey................. 36
Appendix B: Survey for households actively raising chickens................ 43
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