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Microbes & Immunity

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Food chain milieus: Potential reservoirs and

sources of metallo-beta-lactamase-producing
antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Southeast Nigeria

1
Chika Ejikeugwu *, Carissa Duru , Euslar Onu , Cyril Adonu , Nonye Ujam ,
2
3
1
1
4
7
6
Emmanuel Nwakaeze , Ndidiamaka Okorie , Ijeoma Ebenebe , Theodora Mba ,
5
8
Anthonia Mba , Chika Ezeador , Chijioke Edeh , Malachy Ugwu , and
9
6
6
Michael Adikwu 10
1 Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Agbani, Nigeria
2 International Foundation Against Infectious Disease in Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria
3 Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Clinical Medicine, Alex Ekwueme Federal
University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
4 Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Nigeria
5 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Enugu State
University of Science and Technology, Agbani, Nigeria
6 Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
7 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Enugu State University of
Science and Technology, Agbani, Nigeria
8 Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, David Umahi
Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Nigeria
*Corresponding author: 9 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, Nnamdi
Chika Ejikeugwu Azikiwe University, Nnewi, Nigeria
(chika.ejikeugwu@esut.edu.ng) 10 Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka,
Citation: Ejikeugwu C, Duru C, Enugu, Nigeria
Onu E, et al. Food chain milieus:
Potential reservoirs and sources of
metallo-beta-lactamase-producing
antibiotic-resistant bacteria in
Southeast Nigeria. Microbes & Abstract
Immunity. 2024;1(1):2319.
doi: 10.36922/mi.2319 Concerted efforts are needed to mitigate the development and transmission of
Received: November 27, 2023 bacterial resistance in the general environment. Metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)
Accepted: February 1, 2024 is a carbapenemase that allows bacteria to resist the antimicrobial onslaught
of carbapenems (e.g., imipenem [IPM]). We investigated the prevalence of MBL-
Published Online: February 26,
2024 producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in poultry farms. Samples from poultry birds
(n = 65) were studied for the isolation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria according
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute criteria. The modified Hodge
distributed under the terms of the test was used to phenotypically detect MBL. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was
Creative Commons Attribution used to confirm MBL production in the test isolates. To confirm the presence of
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, plasmids in the isolates, a plasmid curing experiment was conducted. High levels
provided the original work is of reduced susceptibility to cefotaxime (77.8%), IPM (69.4%), gentamicin (63.9%),
properly cited. amikacin (58.3%), fosfomycin (55.5%), ciprofloxacin (66.7%), tetracycline (75%),
Publisher’s Note: AccScience ertapenem (55.5%), sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (66.7%), and cefoxitin (52.8%)
Publishing remains neutral with were recorded in the P. aeruginosa isolates. A total of 23 isolates of P. aeruginosa
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional produced MBL. The presence of MBL genes in these P. aeruginosa isolates (n = 23) was
affiliations. confirmed by PCR, which detected bla (47.8%) and bla (26.1%). The isolates
IMP-1 IMP-2

Volume 1 Issue 1 (2024) 60 doi: 10.36922/mi.2319