TITLE:
Heavy Metals and Antibiotics Susceptibility Profiles of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Several Points Receiving Daily Input from the Bodija Abattoir in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Abimbola O. Adekanmbi, Olutayo I. Falodun
KEYWORDS:
Staphylococcus aureus, Heavy Metals, Antibiotics, Abattoir, Resistance
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.5 No.13,
December
30,
2015
ABSTRACT: Indiscriminate and
unguided discharge of untreated wastewater especially from abattoirs can constitute
a public health threat and also stimulate the onset of co-resistance to metal
and antibiotics in environmental microorganisms. It has been shown that
microorganisms especially bacteria that have the capacity to resist antibiotics
and heavy metals, may constitute a public health threat. This study was
therefore conducted to determine the susceptibility and tolerance profile of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from
abattoir effluent flowing into a receiving river around Bodija market in Ibadan
to a range of antibiotics and heavy metals. Ten points were selected for
sampling, and the samples were cultured on nutrient agar and mannitol salt
agar. A total of 22 Staphylococcus aureus strains were obtained. They were subjected to increasing concentration of six
heavy metals [lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd),
nickel (Ni)] and five antibiotics. Of the total isolates, 41% were resistant to
all the six metals at 1500μg/ml concentration, while the others showed various
degree of resistance. A percentage resistance of 22.7% was observed for
tetracycline, 100% to ceftazidime, 9.1% to ciprofloxacin and vancomycin while
63.6% of the strains were resistant to oxacillin. All the strains but two
showed resistance to all the metals tested, while multiple resistance to
antibiotics was also observed. Further studies need to be carried out on the
mechanisms of resistance of these strains.