Multi-drug resistant Vibrio species isolated from abattoir effluents in Nigeria

The antibiogram of Vibrio species isolated from abattoir effluents in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria was investigated in lieu of their public health significance. Vibrio species were isolated and identified using standard microbiological and molecular techniques; while antibiogram of isolates was tested and interpreted according to the disc diffusion method described by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute. Forty eight (48) out of 150 presumptive isolates (32%) were confirmed to be Vibrio spp. by PCR; of this number (48), 23(47.9%) were V. cholerae, 11(22.9%) V. fluvialis, 8(16.7%) V. vulnificus and 6(12.5%) V. parahaemolyticus. The antibiogram reveals that Vibrio species were generally resistant to ampicillin (60-67%), trimethoprim (80-100%) and tetracycline (60-83%); whereas they were sensitive to ceftriaxone (86-100%), the aminoglycosides (67-100%), imipenem (86-100%), ofloxacin (83-100%) and chloramphenicol (67-100%). The isolates exhibited multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) with an average MAR index of 0.23. The study demonstrated that abattoir effluents are important reservoirs for multidrug resistant Vibrio species that could be considerable contributors to the recurrent episodes of epidemic cholera and non-Vibrio cholerae infections in Nigeria.