Africa

AMR in Africa: Big chunk of chicken, pork sold in Kenya found to have antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Consumption of meat contaminated with bacteria resistant to antibiotics can spread food-borne diseases and cause AMR

 
By Tony Malesi
Published: Thursday 23 March 2023
Victims of the resultant food-borne diseases are likely not to respond to available antibiotics. Representative Photo: iStock.__

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) pathogens are on the rise in Kenya and pose a regional and global health threat, according to a new study. The survey, published in the Journal of Antibiotics on March 20, 2023, was carried out by various scientists in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).

A big chunk of chicken meat and pork sold in Kenyan supermarkets contains deadly bacteria that can spread food-borne diseases and cause dreaded AMR, the study revealed.


Read more: Antimicrobial resistance: Here are some practices to ensure safe poultry


“This study aimed to identify the resistance patterns of bacteria from pork and poultry meat samples purchased from leading retail outlets in Kenya. Of the 393 samples collected, 98.4 per cent of pork and 96.6 per cent of poultry were contaminated with high levels of deadly bacteria,” the document noted.

Among the 611 bacterial isolates recovered, 38.5 per cent were multi-drug resistant. This resistance was noted for critically essential antimicrobials (according to the World Health Organization) such as rifampicin (96 per cent), ampicillin (35 per cent), cefotaxime (nine per cent), cefepime (six per cent), and ciprofloxacin (six per cent).

“Moreover, there was high resistance to key antimicrobials for veterinary medicines such as tetracycline (39 per cent), sulfamethoxazole (33 per cent), and trimethoprim (30 per cent).

The research shows if you consume the meat, you risk consuming bacterial contaminants, potentially spreading food-borne illnesses,” the study further noted.

The scientists were concerned about the catastrophic potential of the new development, considering Kenya’s strategic position as a regional hub and a country of transit.

There is a need for a concerted effort to gain insights on tackling AMR better and raise awareness, lest the new resistance mechanisms spread globally, the researchers pointed out.


Read more: Antimicrobial resistance: Use these ethnoveterinary medicines for Lumpy Skin Disease


The research was carried out by John Maina, Patrick Muinde, Kelvin Momanyi, John Mwaniki, Victor Yamo and John Kiiru from the Center for Microbiology Research, the World Animal Protection and KEMRI.

The scientists expressed worry, terming the phenomenon a silent pandemic because victims of the resultant food-borne diseases are likely not to respond to available antibiotics. 

One of the scientists involved in the study, Dr Victor Yamo from World Animal Protection, warned that the deadly superbugs are bacteria resistant to three or more antibiotics.

This presents a scary public health threat to consumers. This means it’s risky to consume chicken and pork from both local and international supermarkets within Kenya. This will highly likely expose one to AMR, said Yamo.

“If you eat the chicken, or pork from the supermarkets, especially those that have AMR genes, it is likely to be passed down to you. Once you are exposed to the bacteria, you become a candidate for AMR,” he explained.

The researchers collected about 187 pieces of raw pork and 206 chicken samples between April and July 2020 from leading supermarkets in five major towns — Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nanyuki — in Kenya.


Read more: Antimicrobial resistance: These steps can ensure AMR doesn’t develop in newborns


Yamo said the analysis was done at the Center for Microbiology Research laboratories at KEMRI, where scientists looked for bacteria with superbugs in line with WHO-recognised antibiotics.

“Most of the resistance emanates from poor farming practices. Enforcing high standards of food hygiene and sanitation throughout the supply chain is of the essence. This is critical, especially at the time of slaughter and packaging. High levels of hygiene will help prevent the introduction of bacteria to the food and spread of food-borne pathogens,” said Yamo.

The study warned against the extensive use of antibiotics in growth promotion in chicken and pig farming.

“A 2021 study revealed oxytetracycline at about 85 per cent and Amoxil at 88 per cent are commonly used antibiotics in commercial chicken rearing in Kenya. So findings in our study are a possible reflection of the implications of heavy antibiotics usage in animal production without appropriate prescription,” the document said.

The scientists in the study said by doing so, farmers may unknowingly pass resistant antibiotic genes to the animals. 

The latest development poses a global health threat, with approximately 1.27 million deaths recorded annually due to drug-resistant ailments, according to WHO. This statistic is projected to shoot to an estimated 10 million people annually by 2050.

“To put it into context, COVID-19 swept away approximately six million people in the last three years. Deaths associated with drug resistance are projected to shoot up to 10 million in a year. At this rate, we are likely to lose the ability to treat people and save lives,” explained Yamo.

The study revealed worrying levels of resistance to penicillin and tetracycline — two of the most commonly used antibiotics by animal farmers — demonstrating the importance of responsible antibiotic use.


Read more: Antimicrobial resistance: 5 years after AMR national plan came out, only 3 states have one of their own


The research also noted a high prevalence of bacteria that is often considered parasitic, like E. coli at 48.4 per cent, Klebsiella spp at 19.1 per cent and food-borne pathogens like Salmonella spp at 17.8 per cent and Staphylococcus spp at 6.7 per cent.

The development of antibiotic resistance to medications such as ciprofloxacin, cefepime and gentamicin, which are on the WHO list of critically important antimicrobials, is a growing concern.

The sad situation is further exacerbated by an increasing resistance to amoxiclav, ceftazidime and gentamicin, which has risen to 16 per cent (from 2.6 per cent), six per cent (from zero per cent) and three per cent (from zero per cent) respectively, in a similar study in Kenya less than ten years ago.

There are also alarmingly higher levels of resistance to trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole — two critical antimicrobials used to treat coccidial and bacterial infections in humans and animals.

Furthermore, the resistance to tetracycline, ampicillin, amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin, commonly used to treat respiratory infections in livestock, has risen to 39 per cent, 35 per cent, 16 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively.

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