Evaluation of Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics in Stool Samples Obtained from Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus) in Family and Family-commercial Farms

Abstract

Abstract The inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents in guinea pigs to control enteric pathogens affects the nutritional sustainability of the rural population. Therefore, it is important to identify the pathogen, its resistance, and the appropriate antimicrobial agent for its control. The present investigation was carried out in family and family-commercial guinea pig farms, in eight rural parishes of the Gualaceo canton, Azuay province, Ecuador, from which 384 samples were obtained by rectal swabbing of guinea pigs from production units with enteric problems (diarrhea), the same ones that were transferred to the laboratory of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Cuenca, in order to identify the bacterial agents present in fecal samples of guinea pigs. There the isolation of culture media and identification of pathogens were carried out, they were subsequently exposed to an antibiogram, in order to qualitatively assess their bacterial resistance. The data were tabulated and analyzed in SPSS, finding the presence of Escherichia coli (49.4%), Salmonella typhimurium (24.6%), Shigella flexneri (14.3%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.7%). The Chi-square test determined that of the five antimicrobials used, only tetracycline had a relationship between bacterial presence and resistance. It was also found that Escherichia coli presented a higher percentage of resistance, for enrofloxacin 22.5%, neomycin 14.2%, sulfamethoxazole - trimethoprim 33.3%, tetracyclines 29.2%. Data were analyzed at a confidence level of 95% with a 5% error, concluding that the identified pathogens have low resistance to the antimicrobials used, but are still susceptible.

Keywords

• bacterial resistance, antibiogram, enteric infection, antibiotics.