ABSTRACT
Background and Aim: Anthelmintic resistance (AR) in gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) is currently present worldwide and a major challenge to goat production. However, no updated information is available on this topic in the study area. Thus, this study evaluated the efficacy of commonly used anthelmintics on GINs in naturally-infected goats and assessed farmers' perception of anthelmintic utilization practices in Humbo district, Southern Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: The field experiments for routinely used anthelmintics, namely, albendazole, ivermectin, and tetramisole, were conducted from September 2022 to April 2023. Sixty naturally-infected goats with nematodes were selected based on egg count (≥150 eggs per gram of feces) and allocated randomly into four groups (15 animals per group). Then, fecal samples were collected pre- and post-treatment and examined for fecal egg count reduction (FECRT) to determine the AR status of goat GINs. The modified McMaster technique using standard floatation was used for quantifying the eggs. In addition, a questionnaire survey was conducted to assess anthelmintic utilization practices among goat owners. Results: The FECR levels for albendazole, ivermectin, and tetramisole were 94.6, 95.9, and 97.3%, respectively. By coproculture, the nematode genera identified before treatment were Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Teladorsagia, Oesophagostomum, Bunostomum, and Chabertia Species. However, post-treatment fecal cultures showed that some Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, and Strongyloides spp. did not respond to the treatments. The questionnaire survey revealed that albendazole was the most commonly used anthelmintic to treat nematode infection in goats. Respondents expressed that anthelmintic treatment was utilized based on veterinarian prescription (59%), availability (32%), efficacy (4%), and affordability (5%). Conclusion: Tetramisole should be used cautiously to prevent the development of resistant strains, as it was still effective in the study area. Additionally, regular monitoring of anthelmintic effectiveness is necessary.
ABSTRACT
Toxigenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) are an important cause of gastroenteritis in developing countries. In Ethiopia, gastroenteritis due to food-borne disease is a leading cause of death. Yet, there is no surveillance for E. coli O157 and little is known about the carriage of this pathogen in Ethiopia's livestock. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and levels of antimicrobial resistance of E. coli O157 in goat meat, feces, and environmental samples collected at a large abattoir in the Somali region of Ethiopia. The samples were enriched in modified tryptone broth containing novobiocin, and plated onto sorbitol MacConkey agar. Isolates were confirmed using indole test and latex agglutination. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using the disk diffusion method. A total of 235 samples, including 93 goat carcass swabs, 93 cecal contents, 14 water, 20 hand, and 15 knife swabs were collected. Overall, six (2.5%) samples were contaminated with E. coli O157 of which two (2.1%) were isolated from cecal contents, three (3.2%) from carcass swabs, and one (7.1%) from water. All isolates were resistant to at least two of the 18 antimicrobials tested. Two isolates (33.3%) were resistant to more than five antimicrobials. Abattoir facilities and slaughter techniques were conducive to carcass contamination. This study highlights how poor hygiene and slaughter practice can result in contaminated meat, which is especially risky in Ethiopia because of the common practice of eating raw meat. We detect multi-resistance to drugs not used in goats, suggesting that drugs used to treat human infections may be the originators of antimicrobial resistance in livestock in this ecosystem. The isolation of multidrug-resistant E. coli O157 from goats from a remote pastoralist system highlights the need for global action on regulating and monitoring antimicrobial use in both human and animal populations.
