Antimicrobial resistance and minimum inhibitory concentrations of bacteria isolated from bustards in the United Arab Emirates

• Published in: Avian diseases Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 690 - 697
• Main Authors: Bailey, T.A, Silvanose, C, Wernery, U, Samour, J.H, Naldo, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1998
• Subjects: Amoxicillin - pharmacology; Ampicillin - pharmacology; Animals; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; antibiotics; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Birds - microbiology; dosage; drug resistance; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Female; Fluoroquinolones; Gram-negative bacteria; Gram-positive bacteria; inhibition; Klebsiella - drug effects; Klebsiella - isolation & purification; Male; Metronidazole - pharmacology; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; necropsy; Oxytetracycline - pharmacology; pathogens; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - drug effects; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - isolation & purification; Quinolones - pharmacology; Salmonella - drug effects; Salmonella - isolation & purification; Species Specificity; Sulfonamides - pharmacology; United Arab Emirates; wild birds; zoo animals; United Arab Emirates
• ISSN: 0005-2086; 1938-4351
• DOI: 10.2307/1592704

The resistance to 11 antimicrobial agents of bacteria isolated from clinical and postmortem cases of five species of bustards maintained in captivity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 1995 to 1997 was determined by disc sensitivity. Of 226 isolates, 169 (74.8%) were gram-negative bacilli, with the majority identified as Escherichia coli (28.8%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19%). The isolates of E. coli showed a high prevalence of resistance to amoxycillin (69%), tetracycline (66.7%), and sulphamethoxazole (43.3%). Moderate resistance to enrofloxacin was observed in F. coli (30%) and P. aeruginosa (19%) isolates. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to seven antimicrobial agents were determined for 133 bacterial isolates from bustards during 1996 to 1997. Enrofloxacin (concentration required to inhibit 50% of the isolates [MIC(50)] < 0.5 micrograms/ml) and gentamicin (MIC(50) less than or equal to 1.0 micrograms/ml exhibited good activity against both gram-negative bacilli and staphylococci isolated from bustards. Enrofloxacin (MIC(50) less than or equal to 1.5 micrograms/ml) gentamicin (MIC(50) less than or equal to 2.0 micrograms/ml). and piperacillin (MIC(50) less than or equal to 4.0 micrograms/ml) exhibited good activity against P. aeruginosa isolates. Amoxycillin/ clavulanic acid showed good activity (concentration required to inhibit 90% of the isolates [MIC(90)] 2.0 micrograms/ml) against gram-positive cocci and moderate activity (MIC(50) less than or equal to 3.0 micrograms/ ml) against E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Klebsiella spp. Amoxycillin exhibited good activity MIC(50) less than or equal to 0.5 micrograms/ml) against gram-positive organisms and moderate activity (MIC(50) less than or equal to 1.0 micrograms/ ml) against Salmonella spp. These results provide information on the prevalence of resistant bacterial strains and the MICs of organisms derived from bustards in the UAE.