Abstract:
Objectives: Isolation of Shigella species from farm animals and some of their food products, and to figure out drug resistance of these isolates.
Methods: Current study was conducted in Baghdad from October 2019-October 2020. A total of 185 samples (100 fecal samples and 85 food samples) were collected from bovine, ovine and chickens. 85 sam-ples were collected from different food from animal products like beef, sheep and chicken meat and cheese samples. All 185 samples were cultured on Hektoen enteric agar, S.S. agar, XLD Agar, and MacConkey, furthermore isolated bacteria were subjected to ApiE20 and biochemical tests for preliminary isolation and identification. Suspected purified colonies were identified by PCR as Shigella genus by (invC) gene and as particular species by (rfc), (wbgZ), (rfpB) and (Conserved hypothetical protein) genes by the use of PCR and specific primers. Identified Shigella species were tested against 11 types of antibiotics to figure out their resistance and sensitivity using Kirby-Bauer test.
Results: The standard bacteriological culture yield 3 were positive and 182 were negative. Of these a total of 2 Shigella species ( 1 / 30 (3.3%) , 1 / 19 ( 5.3 % ) beef meat and sheep meat respectively ) were Shigella felexneri and one 1 / 30 (3.3% beef meat) was Shigella sonnei as were identified by the use of PCR and specific primers. PCR amplification products appeared as (430 bp) for Shigella sonnei wbgZ gene and (537bp) for the gene rfc of Shigella flexneri Regarding the antibiotic susceptibility, S.sonnei and S. flexneri from beef meat were 100% resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline, and moderately resistance to Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone, Nalidxic acid, and Ceftazidime. Shigella flexneri from sheep meat was resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, nalidxic acid and Cefotaxime. All the three isolates were multidrug resistance.
Conclusions: Although few isolates of Shigella species were isolated from few number of samples, but it was alarming results as they were MDR emerging isolates.
