ISOLATION, IDENTIFICATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TEST OF SALMONELLA AND ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATED FROM HONEYBEES GUT IN HOLETA HOLETA TOWN, WESTERN SHOA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Ethiopia is among the leading countries who produce honey and beeswax worldwide for centuries. A wide range of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and parasites may affect honeybee colony, which leads to colony collapse. Most research on microbiomes in the intestine of honeybees has emphasized the lactic acid bacteria. There is limitation of study pathogenic intestinal gut of microbial of honeybees in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was undertaken from December 2021 to June 2022 to isolate Escherichia coli and Salmonella from gut of honeybee as well as to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the isolates at Holeta town west Shoa, Ethiopia. Purposively, 40 honeybee colonies were selected and subsequently, 200 live honeybee samples were collected for laboratory analysis using bacteriologic culture, biochemical, and PCR tests according to standard microbiological methods. The antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed for 15 E. coli and 11 Salmonella isolates with 9 antimicrobial disks using the agar disk diffusion method. The overall occurrences of E. coli and Salmonella based on culture were 7.5% (15/200) and 5.5% (11/200), respectively. The detection of Salmonella enterica by PCR targeting inveA gene revealed 5% (10/200) were confirmed as Salmonella enterica. From the total 40 colonies of honeybee examined 37.5% (15/40) and 27.5% (11/40) were positive for E. coli and Salmonella, respectively. Relatively higher (p> 0.05) isolation of E. coli and Salmonella were found in traditional hive than modern hive colony. However, Pearson’s chi-square analysis showed that feed supplement, type of water used, and colony collapse were significantly associated (P<0.05) with the isolation of Salmonella. Both Salmonella and E. coli isolates showed 100% resistance to Ampicillin, Clindamycin and Penicillin. All and 63.6% of the Salmonella isolates were susceptible to Streptomycin and Trimethoprim, respectively. All E. coli isolates were susceptible to Streptomycin. Meanwhile, majority of the isolates showed susceptibility to Oxy-tetracycline (93.3%), Tetracycline (93.3%), Ceftriaxone (80%), Trimethoprim (73.3%) and Chloramphenicol (66.6%). Some management practices are identified as risk factors for the presence of Salmonella enterica and E. coli in honeybee in the study area. Therefore, using modern hive and also, good management practice like inspection, feeding, sanitation and disease control are required to improve honeybee healthy in relation to the target organisms.