Antibiotic Resistance Genes as Emerging Environmental Contaminants in Poultry Farm Environment from Various Districts in Tamil Nadu, South India-A Pilot Study

Abstract

Extensive use of antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry farms will select for antimicrobial resistance genes among bacterial isolates of broiler origin and may spread to environment and individuals in close contact thereby posing a threat to human health. Soil samples were collected from different poultry farms in various districts of Tamil Nadu to detect the percentage of antibiotic resistance and the resistance determinants in soil. Mean resistance levels were highly variable ranging between 59-93 % for tetracycline and 23-78 % for erythromycin respectively. The most frequent gene was erm(A) (56.2 %) followed by tet(K) (43.7 %) and erm(C) (32.2 %). Higher tetracycline and macrolide resistance determinants were observed inside the farms compared to outside.