Antimicrobial Resistance of <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolates from Livestock and the Environment in Extensive Smallholder Livestock Production Systems in Ethiopia
Biruk Alemu Gemeda,
Barbara Wieland,
Gezahegn Alemayehu,
Theodore J. D. Knight-Jones,
Hiwot Desta Wodajo,
Misgana Tefera,
Adem Kumbe,
Abebe Olani,
Shubisa Abera,
Kebede Amenu
Affiliations
Biruk Alemu Gemeda
Animal and Human Health Research Program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa P.O. Box 5689, Ethiopia
Barbara Wieland
Institute of Virology and Immunology, 3147 Mittelhaeusern, Switzerland
Gezahegn Alemayehu
Animal and Human Health Research Program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa P.O. Box 5689, Ethiopia
Theodore J. D. Knight-Jones
Animal and Human Health Research Program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa P.O. Box 5689, Ethiopia
Hiwot Desta Wodajo
Animal and Human Health Research Program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa P.O. Box 5689, Ethiopia
Misgana Tefera
College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Bishoftu P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia
Adem Kumbe
Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Yabello Pastoral and Dryland Agriculture Research Center, Yabello P.O. Box 85, Ethiopia
Abebe Olani
Animal Health Institute (AHI), Sebeta P.O. Box 04, Ethiopia
Shubisa Abera
Animal Health Institute (AHI), Sebeta P.O. Box 04, Ethiopia
Kebede Amenu
Animal and Human Health Research Program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa P.O. Box 5689, Ethiopia
The objective of this study was to characterize the distribution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from livestock feces and soil in smallholder livestock systems. A cross-sectional study was carried out sampling 77 randomly selected households in four districts representing two agroecologies and production systems. E. coli was isolated and the susceptibility to 15 antimicrobials was assessed. Of 462 E. coli isolates tested, resistance to at least one antimicrobial was detected in 52% (43.7–60.8) of isolates from cattle fecal samples, 34% (95% CI, 26.2–41.8) from sheep samples, 58% (95% CI, 47.9–68.2) from goat samples and 53% (95% CI, 43.2–62.4) from soil samples. AMR patterns for E. coli from livestock and soil showed some similarities, with the highest prevalence of resistance detected against streptomycin (33%), followed by amoxycillin/clavulanate (23%) and tetracycline (8%). The odds of detecting E. coli resistance to ≥2 antimicrobials in livestock fecal samples were nearly three times (Odd Ratio—OR: 2.9; 95% CI, 1.72–5.17; p = 0.000) higher in lowland pastoral than in highland mixed crop–livestock production systems. These findings provide insights into the status of resistance in livestock and soil, and associated risk factors in low-resource settings in Ethiopia.
