Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Indices of Enteric Bacteria Isolated from Musca domestica

Abstract

The housefly, Musca domestica, is a synanthropic pest known to mechanically transmit enteric pathogens by moving between filth and human habitats. In the context of increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), flies can act as vectors and environmental reservoirs for multidrug-resistant bacteria, posing a significant public health risk. This study was undertaken to determine the multiple antibiotic resistance indices of enteric bacteria isolated from Musca domestica. A total of 100 M. domestica specimens were collected from hospital landfill sites, and screened for the presence of enteric bacteria employing standard microbiological technique. In vitro technique using disc diffusion method was used for the susceptibility of the isolates to conventional antibiotics. The enteric bacteria isolated from the samples were Escherichia coli 0157:H7 strain G5295 (ECOH5), Escherichia coli strain 7784 (EC77), Shigella dysenteriae strain 1617 (SD16) and Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Enteritidis strain EC20121765 (SEE20). The study reveals Musca domestica carries multidrug-resistant enteric bacteria with high Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) indices, with isolate EC77 showing the highest MAR index, followed by SEE20, SD16, and ECOH5, indicating a significant public health risk (p < 0.05). This study has revealed that Musca domestica carries multidrug-resistant enteric bacteria (Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, and Salmonella enterica) with high MAR indices, posing a significant public health risk, emphasizing the need for effective waste management and infection control measures.