solation Rate and Antimicrobial Profiles of Salmonella from Captive Wild Animals at University of Ilorin Zoological Garden, Kwara State, Nigeria

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• Akeem O. Ahmed ¹
• Abdulhameed A Katibi ¹
• Ahmad A Sagaya ¹
• Fatima L Adamu ²
• Basheerat S Abdulkareem ³
• Aremu Abdulfatai ⁴
• Musa I Abubakar ⁵
• Ibrahim A Raufu ¹

¹ Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

² Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Maiduguri, Ilorin, Nigeria.

³ Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

⁴ Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

⁵ Department of Theriogenology and Production, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

10.22067/ijvst.2025.90724.1440

Abstract

Salmonellosis, a globally distributed zoonotic disease, has poorly understood epidemiology in captive wildlife, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the isolation rate and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Salmonella species from captive wildlife at the University of Ilorin Zoological Garden, Kwara State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted using 191 faecal samples collected from different species of captive wild animals. Samples were processed using standard bacteriological procedures and antimicrobial sensitivity testing was conducted using the Kirby-Bauer disk method. Out of the 191 samples analyzed, 19 (10.0 %) were positive for Salmonella. The frequencies of isolation varied among different animal classes, with the avian species showing the highest rate (5.24 %). Differences in isolation rates within and between different animal classes were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The isolates generally showed a low level of antimicrobial resistance except against ampicillin (94.7%) and erythromycin (89.5%). Statistically significant resistance was observed for  erythromycin (p = 0.042) and tetracycline (p = 0.035) among all the isolates. Similarly, resistance to ceftazidime was prominent among the primate species sampled (p = 0.002). We identified nine distinct resistance profiles, with 15.8% of resistant isolates exhibiting multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes. Notably, 94.7% of Salmonella isolates demonstrated a multi-antibiotic resistance (MAR) index ≥ 0.2. These findings confirm the presence of Salmonella in captive wildlife at this facility, indicating a potential public health risk. Despite generally low antimicrobial resistance levels, ongoing surveillance is crucial to identify infection sources and prevent environmental contamination by MDR zoonotic pathogens.

Keywords

• Captive wildlife
• Salmonella
• MDR
• Zoo
• Ilorin
• MAR Index

Main Subjects

• Microbiology

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