A One Health approach to antibiotic resistance profiles in backyard (hobby) poultry settings in Central North Carolina

An increasing number of households in the United States keep backyard poultry, including small hobby flocks, or purchase eggs from backyard poultry farmers. Concerns about rising grocery prices and a growing interest in homesteading have driven a surge in poultry-related sales. Some research has been conducted to understand the prevalence of zoonotic bacteria and antimicrobial resistance of the backyard environment; however, with the expansion of backyard hobby flocks and increasing availability in chicken breeds, more information is needed about these interactions at the human-animal interface. This study aimed to identify the presence of three common bacterial species ( Salmonella spp., E. coli , and Campylobacter spp.), and describe their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles, among samples taken from backyard hobby poultry owners and their flocks. During January−June 2024, a total of 99 samples were collected, including 17 human nasopharyngeal swabs, 15 poultry fecal matter swabs, 12 poultry water bowl swabs, 14 soil samples, 10 poultry bedding samples, and 31 other environmental swabs, from across 15 participating farms. Analysis of resistance by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion showed that 40% (40/99) tested positive for E. coli and 46% (46/99) tested positive for Campylobacter , with 32.5% (13/40) of E.coli having TEM and 91.3% (42/46) of Campylobacter strains exhibiting resistance to erythromycin. Antimicrobial resistance in backyard hobby poultry settings could contribute to the spread of resistant strains – and harder-to-treat infections - in poultry and humans. Future studies, including additional participants and serial environmental sampling, could help inform backyard hobby poultry-related public health interventions like enhanced husbandry practices and biosecurity.