Venus Nana Boakyewaa Frimpong

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a global health threat, and the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, particularly poultry production, is well documented. There is, therefore, a need to investigate the prevalence of priority bacterial pathogens as reservoirs of AMR genes in poultry. We aimed to ascertain the prevalence and resistant profiles of Extended-spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and Carbapenem-resistant E. coli in retail poultry in Ghana. Methods: One hundred and sixty-five (165) poultry caecal content samples were collected from three vendors. After overnight culture and purity plating on MacConkey agar, strain identification was performed using the VITEK 2 Compact System. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and confirmation of ESBL-producing and carbapenem-resistant strains were conducted with the combination disc test. The laboratory data and antibiogram generation were managed using WHONET 2024 software. Prevalence and antibiotic resistance patterns were analyzed and presented using both Microsoft Excel 365 and the AMR package in R Studio. Results: Of the 165 poultry caecal content samples examined, an overall E. coli prevalence of 88.5% (n=146) was obtained. The prevalence of ESBL-producing and carbapenem-resistant E. coli was 90.4% (n = 132/146) and 1.4% (n = 2/146), respectively. All isolates demonstrated 100% resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and temocillin, and 99.0% resistance to ampicillin and cefpodoxime. Susceptibility to ceftazidime/avibactam, meropenem, and tigecycline was 100%. Monthly, between 80% and 100% of the isolates were resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ampicillin, aztreonam, cefpodoxime, cefepime, and temocillin throughout the year. Conclusions: The prevalence of multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing E. coli in the caecal contents of retail poultry is high. Also, the resistance patterns of these isolates to all antibiotics except ceftazidime/avibactam and tigecycline throughout the year are of great concern. These observations raise questions about the use of antibiotics in poultry farming in Ghana. While veterinary officers are encouraged to intensify education and monitoring, poultry retailers are advised to adhere to good hygiene practices.

The gold standard for Mycobacterium ulcerans detection is PCR due to its high accuracy in confirmation of suspected cases. But the available PCR assays are design for standard size thermocyclers which are immobile and suited for reference laboratories far away from endemic communities. This makes it a challenge to obtain immediate results for patient management. We have validated and evaluated a dried reagent-based PCR assay adapted for a handheld, battery-operated, portable thermocycler with the potential of extending diagnostics to endemic communities with limited infrastructure. The diagnostic accuracy of the assay following a multi-centre evaluation by three Buruli ulcer reference laboratories with over 300 clinical samples showed sensitivity and specificity of 100% - 97% and 100% - 94%. This assay coupled with a field-friendly extraction method fulfill almost all the target product profile of Buruli ulcer for decentralized testing at districts, health centres and community level. A key critical action for achieving the NTD Road Map 2030 target for Buruli ulcer.