The use of antimicrobial agents and smart regulations to prevent antimicrobial resistance in poultry farms : towards one health

Abstract

Background: A quiet pandemic known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) coexists with the COVID-19 pandemic and is caused by the widespread, careless use of antimicrobial medicines in self-medication and unsupervised therapy regimens by a huge number of people. Similar circumstances can be found in the livestock and poultry farming industry, which has resulted in AMR problems like mastitis caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Treatment and infection prevention in both humans and animals may become challenging shortly if AMR is not tackled, which is a concerning issue. Animal husbandry procedures need to be changed to lessen the utilization of antibiotics indiscriminately and the problems associated with AMR in the industry. Documenting the field level using antibacterial substances and the amount of AMR knowledge is a prerequisite for developing such intervention strategies. Unfortunately, there was a dearth of information, inadequate documentation, and in many cases non-existent data on AMR concerns at the field level in South Africa. Recent publications from the World Health Organization (WHO) have also highlighted the danger that humanity faces from reverting to pre-antibiotic times, highlighting the pressing necessity of using all monetary and scientific resources at our disposal to reduce this risk. Farmers' ignorance of antimicrobial agents, a lack of oversight and regulatory services, a high number of unofficial animal health service providers, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) have resulted in the overuse and misuse of antimicrobial agents and, ultimately, the evolution of antibioticresistant genes and bacteria in commercial poultry farming are some of the predisposing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional, experimental, and quantitative study design was conducted at three chicken farms in Polokwane. Initial research involved using a pretested questionnaire among chicken feeders. Chicken droppings and gut contents were collected for microbiological investigation using standardized laboratory methods. Results: The study showed that amoxicillin/clavulanic acid was most commonly used for growth promotion. Enterobacter cloacae complex, Salmonella, and E. coli were identified from the chicken droppings collected from the farms and gut contents from chickens and the susceptibility test indicated that all the Enterobacter cloacae complex strains were susceptible to amoxicillin, augumentin, ertapenem and that amikacin is the most effective antibiotic against Salmonella. Salmonella strains were found to be resistant to gentamycin and amoxicillin which are the most widely used agents in humans. Conclusions: It was evident from the study that chicken farm factory workers needed education about the judicial use of antimicrobial agents in general and the consequences of their use as growth promoters. Therefore, any review by regulatory authorities in South Africa regarding the use of antibiotics in chicken farm factories to promote their growth needs to take into account the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of every actor in the industry. Some of the AMA used were also those used in humans e.g. for Salmonella infections which calls for closer collaboration in controlling AMR.