Abstract:
The rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens poses a public health threat giving increased possibility for local outbreaks in the future. Thus, their presence and distribution in important locally-produced commodities must be investigated such as poultry feeds. Five composite poultry feed samples from Marilao and Meycauayan, Bulacan, and Valenzuela City were tested for the presence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. Salmonellae were absent in all the tested samples as shown by the absence of expected results using both cultural and molecular techniques (PCR through the &/-DAS kit). Enteric bacteria were absent in sample A. Further, biochemical tests differentiated the enterics from the rest of the four samples into the following putative identification: E. coli, Klebsiella pneumonia subsp. ozaneae and Citrobacler diversus. E. coli and C. diversus recovered from sample C recorded the highest amp+chlor+sulfo resistance; E. coli from samples B and D as well as Klebsiella pneumonia subsp. ozaneae from sample D recorded the highest ACSSuT resistance; and E. coli, Klebsiella pneumonia subsp. ozaneae and C. diversus isolated from sample E recorded the highest amp+strep+sulfo resistance. In summary, antibiotic-resistant coliforms are present in locally- produced poultry feeds. This poses a possible threat in the poultry industry and consequently to the human community.
