Acinetobacter baumannii in Birds’ Feces: A Public Health Threat to Vegetables and Irrigation Farmers

Abstract

The rising trend of resistance in Acintobacter baumannii had in recent days become a public health care concern with most literature reported from samples collected from hospital environment. This research therefore, wishes to determine the occurrence of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii in birds’ droppings, associated with irrigated farms vegetables, for epidemiological update and future clinical forecast. Forty eight birds fecal samples were collected and processed for isolation and identification of A. baumannii on MacConkey agar and Microbact 24E (Oxoid), and tested against 10 commonly used antibiotics (quinolones, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, sulfonamides). A. baumannii was isolated from 31.25% of samples and had shown more resistant to ceporex (100.00%) and to streptomycin with 80.00% and 90.00% for Jakara and Sharada farms’ fecal samples respectively; isolates were however sensitive to co-trimoxazole. Forty eight (46.67%) of the isolates were resistant to at least 6 drugs, with strong correlation between some drugs. By this result, wild birds’ fecal materials demonstrate high potential of A. baumannii carrying capacity and dissemination, and thus pose risk of contaminating vegetables, infecting human and transmitting resistance phenotype to other non-multidrug-resistant bacteria—a situation quite challenging to health care management and public health. And thus it further suggests for screening of additional probable contributing factors, so as to develop possible detailed transmission pathway and control strategies.