Prevalence of Multi-Drug Resistant Avian Pathogenic E. coli in Colibacillosis-infected Broilers: a prospective study

AMR Patterns of APEC in Broilers

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/888hq322

Abstract

Antibiotics remain the option for treating avian colibacillosis (AvCol), but the increasing emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria is negatively impacting treatment outcomes. To assist veterinarians in treating AvCol in Ghana, we evaluated the susceptibility of 40 avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) obtained from 51 organs (lung, heart, spleen and liver) of 14 broilers diagnosed with colibacillosis, to six antibiotics using the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method and further evaluated for colistin resistance using Chromagar COL-APSE. APEC was detected in at least one organ of each AvCol-diagnosed bird. The lungs showed the highest isolation frequency (91.7%). High resistance to tetracycline (100%), ampicillin (95.0%) and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (77.5%) was observed. Susceptibility to gentamicin was 85.0%. About two-thirds (n=35, 87.5%) of isolates were multidrug-resistant with 40% (n=14) resistant to five antimicrobial classes. About a third (n=15/40, 37.5%) of APEC isolates from more than half (n=9/14, 64.3%) of the birds were resistant to colistin. APEC associated with AvCol showed high resistance to most antibiotics frequently used in the poultry industry but was susceptible to gentamicin. Isolates exhibited high MDR and moderate resistance to colistin. The findings highlight the need for enhanced surveillance systems on antibiotic use in poultry in the country.

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Author Biographies

  • Theophilus Odoom, University of Ghana

    Dr Theophilus Odoom is a specialist Veterinary diagnostic pathologist, multidisciplinary researcher, head of Accra Veterinary Laboratory (AVL) and a part-time lecturer at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghana. He collaborates and oversees all diagnostic testing for Transboundary Animal Diseases, policy formulation, technology transfer, and the training of Veterinary and animal health professionals. He conducts research on emerging and re-emerging zoonotic pathogens and develops diagnostic tools to detect them using the One health approach. Dr Odoom connects his research with government policy development, the veterinary industry and academia. He lectures on systemic pathology and Diagnostic Clinics with the supervision of Mphil and Bachelor students. His ongoing research projects include developing an IFT test assay for Marburg diagnosis and oral fluid aggregate as a means of s African Swine fever virus surveillance in the pig industry.

  • Rosemond Atakora, University of Ghana

    Dr Rosemond Atakora graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ghana. At Mainstream Animal Hospital, she works as a veterinary officer. At the moment, she is the hospitals doctor in charge. As the doctor, she checks animals, conducts laboratory testing for diagnosis, treats infections, and performs surgeries (both emergency and cosmetic). This initiative has included Dr. Rosemond, who has always been dependable.

  • Rita Ohene Larbi, CSIR-Animal Research Institute

    Ms Rita Ohene Larbi is an Assistant Research Scientist at the CSIR-Animal Research Institute. She holds a BSc in Biological Sciences and an MPhil in Microbiology from the Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. She is currently enrolled in a Pathogen and Vector Biology PhD program at the University of Cape Coast. Ms Ohene Larbi is an alumna of the Structured Operational Research Training programme for Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance in Ghana, a flagship programme of the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), and serves as a junior mentor on the programme from 2023 to date. She is a 2024 awardee of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene’s early-career grants. Her research interests lie in the epidemiology of microbial infections, One Health and antimicrobial resistance.

  • Patrick Ababio, University of Blida

    Dr Patrick Tetteh Ababio is a graduate of the University of Blida, Algeria, and a Veterinary Officer with the Veterinary Services Directorate. He currently serves as the Deputy Head of the Accra Veterinary Laboratory. In his role as Technical Head, he supervises key diagnostic and research units, including serology, molecular diagnostics, vaccine production, bacteriology, necropsy, parasitology, and haematology. Dr Ababio has been actively involved in several research projects and has authored and co authored multiple peer-reviewed publications.

  • Gifty Emefa Fia, Accra Veterinary Laboratory

    Ms Gifty Emefa Fia is an Epidemiologist with professional experience in disease control, surveillance, and Public Health Research. Her work focuses on understanding the distribution and determinants of disease to support evidence-base decision-making and improve population health outcomes. She has a strong interest in applied epidemiology, infectious disease control, and Public Health intervention in resource-limited settings.

  • Matilda Ayim-Akonor, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Animal Research Institute

    Dr Matilda Ayim-Akonor holds a PhD in Natural Sciences from the University of Hamburg. She is a senior research scientist and a group leader at the CSIR-Animal Research Institute. She lectures part-time at the University of Ghana. Her research focuses on emerging and re-emerging livestock infectious diseases of zoonotic and economic importance, genomic surveillance of antimicrobial resistant pathogens in livestock and the farm environment, and One Health epidemiology. She supervises the research projects of undergraduates and post-graduates, serves as a mentor to many early-career scientists and an inspiration to mid-career scientists. Matilda is a team player and open to collaborations in areas that align with her research interests.

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Published

2026-07-31

Issue

Vol. 44 No. 3 (2026)

Section

Articles

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

JUST Vol. 43 Number 1 (2025) Copyright and Licensing statement

How to Cite

Prevalence of Multi-Drug Resistant Avian Pathogenic E. coli in Colibacillosis-infected Broilers: a prospective study: AMR Patterns of APEC in Broilers. (2026). Journal of Science and Technology, 44(3), 50-59. https://doi.org/10.4314/888hq322