In a farm in Upper Egypt, a three-week-old chick is limping due to a bacterium that is settling in its joints – enterococci. This scenario exemplifies antimicrobial resistance long before it reaches hospital wards.
A recent study sampled 120 diseased broilers across 30 commercial farms in Qena and Sohag governorates. Enterococci were found in 22.5% of the samples, with E. faecalis at 11.7%, E. faecium at 7.5%, and E. gallinarum at 3.3%. The affected birds exhibited lameness, arthritis, poor growth, omphalitis, yolk sac infection, and in some cases, septicaemia and endocarditis. Every isolate produced gelatinase and carried gelE, with 81.5% forming biofilms. This combination is significant as biofilms protect bacteria from antibiotics, persist between flocks, and facilitate genetic exchange.
Notably, nearly two-thirds (63%) of the isolates were multidrug-resistant. Lincomycin and tetracycline were ineffective against 66.7% of the isolates, while erythromycin failed against 63%. PCR analysis revealed aac(6′)/aph(2”) in 81.5% of isolates, and ermB and tetM in 74.1% each, with the last two often found together in two-thirds of the samples.
Enterococci serve as a standard One Health sentinel. The accumulation of these bacteria in a broiler shed has far-reaching implications, as they can spread through meat, water, litter, workers, and waste. In regions where antimicrobial sales are largely unregulated, effective stewardship and biosecurity are essential interventions.
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