Background: The evolution of antimicrobial resistance is a multifaceted issue that is influenced by numerous factors. The overutilisation and inappropriate use of antimicrobials is a critical stimulant in the promotion of antimicrobial resistance. High rates of Antimicrobial resistance have been also observed already before treatment, for a longer period after treatment, or in the absence of treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of multidrug-resistant E. coli isolated from day old broiler chicks that had not been treated with antimicrobials before.
Methods: In this study, 120 samples of day old broiler chicks were collected from three broiler hatcheries situated in Mostaganem province, Algeria. Susceptibility testing was performed by disk-diffusion method on Mueller- Hinton agar by the standard disk diffusion procedure as described by the Antibiogram Committee of the French Society for Microbiology (CA-SFM). The isolates were tested against a panel of 16 antimicrobials commonly used in veterinary and human medicine. Results were interpreted according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines
Results: We detected a high prevalence of resistance to drugs such as tetracycline (36 to 97%), sulfonamides (50 to 100%), and streptomycin (53 to 100%) in E. coli isolates from untreated day old chicks.
Conclusions: Other factors must therefore play an important role.