Insights into Bacterial Communities: Multidrug-resistant and Biofilm-forming Bacteria in Poultry Droppings

An ever-increasing demand for high-quality protein sources like poultry products, along with excessive use of antibiotics in animal husbandry are contributing factors to the growing global problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The overuse of antibiotics in poultry and the dissemination of poultry faecal waste in the environment results in the propagation and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. We investigated the bacterial diversity of poultry droppings by targeted amplicon sequencing and determined the resistance pattern of 165 bacterial isolates against various types of antibiotics. We found that the species of genera Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Escherichia, Proteus, Bacillus and Shigella showed resistance against beta-lactams, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, sulphonamide, nitrofurantoin, polymyxin E and aminoglycosides. In addition, we detected strong biofilm-producing isolates of Enterobacter, Bacillus, Proteus, Escherichia and Enterococcus. The detection of biofilm-forming MDR bacteria in poultry droppings highlights the need for proactive measures to mitigate their growth and transmission. High-throughput sequencing revealed the differential prevalence of amplicon sequence variants belonging to Lactobacillus, Corynebacterium and Bacteroides. Functional imputations support the observed potential of biosynthesis of divergent antibiotics and drug resistance. Our findings highlight that poultry droppings harbour a diverse array of antibio­tic-resistant bacteria, underscoring the significance of continuous surveillance and appropriate disposal methods to counteract the escalating problem of multidrug resistance under the ‘One Health’ approach.