Occurrence of Antimicrobial Resistant Enterobacteriaceae and Fungi in effluents from selected Abattoirs in Akoko Local Government, Ondo State

Aim: The aim of the study was to isolate and identify antimicrobial resistant bacteria and fungi from abattoir effluents in Akoko Local Government, Ondo State (AKLGO). Methodology: Wastewater samples from selected abattoirs in AKLGO were collected and analysed using standard microbiological techniques. Bacteria and fungi from the samples were characterised using morphological attributes, microscopic features, and various biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the isolates were profiled using the Kirby-Bauer's disc diffusion method and interpreted following CLSI guidelines. Results: Notable bacteria isolated from the samples included Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella aerogenes, while fungal species included: Candida parapsilosis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida tropicalis, Penicillium echinulatum fassatiova, and Aspergillus vitis novobranova. The microbial isolates demonstrated varying susceptibility patterns to the conventional antimicrobial agents employed in this study. Notably, all the bacterial isolates were resistant to Ampicillin, Nalidixic-acid and Ceporex, while Griseofulvin and Nystatin were the least efficacious agents against fungal isolates. The multiple antibiotics resistance index of the isolates was greater than 0.2, which represents a high-risk source of contamination. Conclusion: The presence of pathogenic antimicrobial resistant organisms in these environments poses a significant health-threat to the populace, thus, these findings underscore the need for proper wastewater treatment and disposal measures at the abattoirs studied.