Affiliation:
1. Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi Ghana
2. Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi Ghana
3. Gene Bank of Primates and Primate Genetics Laboratory German Primate Center Leibniz Institute for Primate Research Göttingen Germany
4. Tanzania National Parks Arusha Tanzania
5. National Institute for Medical Research Muhimbili Medical Research Centre Dar es Salaam Tanzania
6. Institute of International Animal Health/One Health Friedrich‐Loeffler‐Institut Federal Institute for Animal Health Greifswald – Insel Riems Germany
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundThe potential for the transfer of zoonotic diseases, including bacteria between human and non‐human primates (NHPs), is expected to rise. It is posited that NHPs that live in close contact with humans serve as sentinels and reservoirs for antibiotic‐resistant bacteria.ObjectivesThe objective was to characterize the oral and rectal bacteria in Ghanaian NHPs and profile the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated bacteria.MethodsOral and rectal swabs were obtained from 40 immobilized wild and captive NHPs from 7 locations in Ghana. Standard bacteriological procedures were used in the isolation, preliminary identification, automated characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) of bacteria using the Vitek 2 Compact system.ResultsGram‐negative bacteria dominated isolates from the rectal swabs (n = 76, 85.4%), whereas Gram‐positive bacteria were more common in the oral swabs (n = 41, 82%). Staphylococcus haemolyticus (n = 7, 14%) was the most occurring bacterial species isolated from the oral swabs, whereas Escherichia coli (n = 32, 36%) dominated bacteria isolates from rectal swabs. Enterobacter spp. had the highest (39%) average phenotypic resistance to antimicrobials that were used for AST, whereas a trend of high resistance was recorded against norfloxacin, Ampicillin and Tetracycline in Gram‐negative bacteria. Similarly, among Gram‐positive bacteria, Staphylococcus spp. had the highest (25%) average phenotypic resistance to antimicrobials used for AST, and a trend of high resistance was recorded against penicillin G and oxacillin.ConclusionsThis study has established that apparently healthy NHPs that live in anthropized environments in Ghana harbour zoonotic and antimicrobial resistant bacteria.