Antibiotic profiling of multidrug resistant pathogens in one-day-old chicks imported from Belgium to benin.

BACKGROUND: Little data exist on the presence of resistant pathogens in day-old chicks imported into Benin. The occurrence of pathogenic bacteria was assessed in 180 one-day-old chicks imported from Belgium and received at the Cardinal Bernardin Gantin International Airport in Cotonou (Benin). The samples included swabbing the blisters of 180 chicks, followed by 18 pools of 10 swabs for bacterial isolation. Classic bacteriological methods based on Gram staining, culture on specific media and biochemical characterization were used. Antibacterial susceptibility screening to antibiotics was conducted using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, and the results were interpreted according to guidelines from the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). DNA extraction was performed by the heat treatment method. Resistance genes were screened by real-time PCR. RESULTS: We isolated 32 bacteria, including Escherichia coli (50%), Enterococcus spp. (28%), and coagulase-negative staphylococci (10%). The isolates were investigated for antibiotic resistance against antibiotics using the disk diffusion method and showed that in the Escherichia coli strains isolated, the highest rate of resistance was obtained against ciprofloxacin (81%), followed by trimethoprim + sulfamethoxazole (62%). Enterobacter cloacae was sensitive to all the antibiotics tested. Pseudomonas spp. resistant to amoxicillin and trimethoprim + sulfamethoxazole was noted. The SulII gene was found in all cloacal samples, while the SulI and blaTEM genes were present at 44.44% and 16.67%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that imported day-old chicks can be a potential source of dissemination of resistant bacteria in poultry production. A system for immediate detection of resistant bacteria in chicks upon arrival in the country is thus needed.

Prevalence and zoonotic risk factors of Mycobacterium bovis tuberculosis in cattle at the cattle-wildlife-human interface in South and East Cameroon.

Background and Aim: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a contagious and notifiable disease, which is prevalent in cattle populations of many countries and in several wildlife species worldwide. However, the role of wildlife in the transmission and/or maintenance of bTB at the human-wild animal-animal interface and the epidemiology of zoonotic disease are poorly understood in Cameroon, where many wildlife species exist. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and zoonotic risk factors of bTB at the cattle-wildlife-human interface in the South and East regions of Cameroon. Materials and Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study from May to October 2022 in the southern region (Vallée du Ntem and Dja et Lobo) and eastern region (Haut Nyong and Lom et Djérem) of Cameroon to determine risk factors for bTB in Zebu Bororo, Goudali, Ndama, and Simmental cattle breeds. A comparative intradermal tuberculin testing (CIDT) was performed on 160 cattle randomly selected from herds using the threshold recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health. An interviewee-administered questionnaire was used to gather epidemiological data on sociodemographics, interaction between cattle and wildlife, and awareness of zoonotic tuberculosis (TB) from 90 cattle professionals. The prevalence of bTB at the herd level and associated risk factors were estimated using multiple logistic regression models. Results: Based on the comparative intradermal tuberculin test (CIDT), the estimated prevalence of bTB in 160 cattle (Zebu Bororo, Goudali, Ndama, and Simmental) in South and East Cameroon was 6.8% (4.35%-9.41%) and 1.8% (0%-3.6%) for threshold values 3 mm and 4 mm, respectively. The prevalence obtained by simple intradermal tuberculin test (IDT) was 0.6% (0%-1.2%) for a threshold value 4 mm. Univariate analysis revealed three risk factors associated with bTB with significant odds ratios (OR; p = 0.05): herd size (OR = 4.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24-32.56); cattle aged>10 years (OR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.05-0.53); and victims of bTB organ seizure (OR = 0.015; 95% CI: 0.002-0.067). Multivariate analysis showed that being a cattle herder and contact between wildlife and livestock due to forage was significantly associated with bTB exposure (adjusted OR = 0.02; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Bovine TB is prevalent in cattle of the South and East Cameroon. Comparative IDT of cattle reared in the epidemiological and environmental context of the study areas yielded better results at a threshold of 3 mm than at a threshold of 4 mm recommended by the World Health Organization. Factors associated with exposure to/appearance of bTB were high herd size, cattle aged >10 years old, seizures of tuberculous organs, shepherding as a profession, and contact between cattle and wildlife can be due to lack of forage.

Molecular diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis on postmortem carcasses during routine meat inspection in Benin: GeneXpert® testing to improve diagnostic scheme.

Background and Aim: Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a zoonotic disease of major public health importance, particularly in African countries, where control measures are limited or largely not applied. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of the currently used bovine TB diagnostic method at slaughterhouses in Benin; this is to contribute to the betterment and improvement in the epidemiological surveillance of the disease in the country. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 tissue samples were collected from meat/viscera (lung, liver, heart, kidney, and the gastro-intestinal tract tissues) at Cotonou slaughterhouses from ruminants suspected to be infected with bovine TB during routine meat inspection. The collected samples were analyzed using GeneXpert testing technique as a reference method. Results: Twenty-six samples tested positive out of the 40 suspected tissue samples collected by GeneXpert diagnostic technique; this shows the limitation of the routine meat inspection in detecting bovine TB as currently performed in Benin. Conclusion: The outcome of the use of the molecular technique, therefore, supports the importance of the use of a molecular tool alongside the routine meat inspection for a better understanding of the epidemiology of bovine TB in Benin. However, more robust technical and policy efforts are needed for a sustainable implementation of such a strategy.

Inventory of biosecurity measures and antibiotics therapy practices on laying hen farms in Benin.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Laying hen breeding is on the rise in Benin; nevertheless, there are several sanitary constraints to its development, including bacterial diseases. Faced with this situation, breeders mainly resort to different means of treatment. The objective of this study was to assess the current state of hygiene measures, the bacterial diseases commonly encountered, and antibiotic therapy practices on laying hen farms in Benin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 200 laying hen farms were randomly selected from lists of laying hen farms obtained from veterinary offices, territorial agricultural development agencies, and the Benin National Union of Professional Aviculturists. Each visited farmer was subjected to a semi-structured questionnaire by direct interview. The results were compared using the bilateral Z-test. RESULTS: The results of this survey revealed that 99.5% of the surveyed farms had a health and medical prophylaxis program although only 88.5% of them reported strictly adhering to it (p<0.001). About 25.0% of them reported that the dominant bacterial diseases they commonly encountered on their farms were salmonellosis, colibacillosis, and chronic respiratory disease. Only 7.0% of farmers said that they confirmed their diagnosis outside of clinical signs through laboratory analysis. To control these pathologies, 14.5% of farmers used only oxytetracycline, while 39.0% used other antibiotics such as colistin, enrofloxacin, tylosin, tylodox, flumequine, and norfloxacin. In comparison, 13.5% used a trimethoprim-sulfadimethoxine and sulfadimidine combination, while 32.0% said that they used erythromycin, oxytetracycline, streptomycin, neomycin, and colistin (p<0.001) combination. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the inadequacies of hygiene and antibiotic therapy practices implemented on Benin's laying hen farms.