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One Health Surveillance of ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Pig Farms in Yaounde, Cameroon

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Abstract

A study was conducted to assess the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance pattern of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in human, animal, and environmental sources of four pig farms in Yaoundé, Cameroon using a One Health approach. There were 338 samples collected from farmers (n = 42), pigs (n = 168), and farms (n = 128) and ESBL Enterobacteriaceae were recovered in 55.3% of the samples with E. coli (49.1%) more prevalent than K. pneumoniae (29.6%). Among humans, the largest proportion of ESBL-producing isolates was encountered (90.5%), followed by pigs (58.3%) and the environment (39.8%). Farm 3 and the short dry season exhibited the highest frequencies of isolation, which suggests the occurrence of farm-level and climatic factors. The antibiotic susceptibility testing showed absolute resistance to third-generation cephalosporins (100%), monobactams (100%), and β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (100%) to confirm the ESBL phenotype. Co-resistance was high, particularly to tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and fluoroquinolones, and to carbapenems and aminoglycosides, the resistance was moderate to low. The prevalence of tetracycline and β-lactam resistance most likely reflects their frequent and poorly controlled use on the farms studied. Farmer self-treatment, poor biosecurity, and environmental contamination were recognized as potential explanations for multidrug resistance. This study provides useful evidence for multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae that are circulating among humans, animals, and the environment in pig farms, with its major limitation being the absence of molecular characterization, which precludes verification of genetic relatedness and specific ESBL genes accountable. These findings highlight the urgent need for coordinated One Health interventions towards rational application of antibiotics, increased farm sanitation, and continued antimicrobial resistance surveillance towards counteracting public health threats resulting from the zoonotic transmission of resistant bacteria.

Keywords:

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) One Health Pig Farms

Article information

Journal

Journal of Medical Science, Biology, and Chemistry

Volume (Issue)

2(2), (2025)

Pages

224-234

Published

21-10-2025

How to Cite

Abomo, G. D., Bessala, G. C., Dah, I., & Bougnom, B. P. (2025). One Health Surveillance of ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Pig Farms in Yaounde, Cameroon. Journal of Medical Science, Biology, and Chemistry, 2(2), 224-234. https://doi.org/10.69739/jmsbc.v2i2.1070

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