Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of Isolated from Raw Chicken Meat in a Selected Wet Market in Manila City, Philippines.

Background And Objective: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a leading global public health concern as it resulted in more difficult-to-treat infections and fatalities. In the Philippines, drug-resistant , including multidrug-resistant (MDR), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing, carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant (CP-CR) , have been isolated from common food animals, increasing the risk of cross-contamination between humans, animals, and the environment. However, there is a lack of data on the distribution of in chicken meat in public wet markets. This study aims to describe the AMR profile of in raw chicken meat from retail stalls in a selected wet market in Manila City.

Methods: This quantitative descriptive study characterized the AMR profile of isolated from 25 raw chicken meat samples from a wet market in Manila City. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined through disk diffusion method against 23 antimicrobial agents in 16 antimicrobial classes. MDR were identified based on the resistance patterns. ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing capacities of the bacteria were tested through double disk synergy test and modified carbapenem inactivation method, respectively.

Results: Twenty-four out of 25 (96%) chicken samples contained isolates. Of these, 23 (96%) were classified as MDR. High resistance rates were observed against ampicillin (92%), tetracycline (88%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (83%), chloramphenicol (79%), ampicillin-sulbactam (75%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (67%), fosfomycin (67%), and streptomycin (54%). The majority of the isolates were still susceptible to a wide range of selected antimicrobial agents, including carbapenems (100%), ceftriaxone (100%), cefepime (100%), cefuroxime (96%), cefotaxime (96%), ceftazidime (96%), piperacillin-tazobactam (96%), aztreonam (96%), cefoxitin (92%), and nitrofurantoin (83%), among others. Meanwhile, none of the 24 isolated samples were classified as ESBL- and CP-CR .

Conclusion: Among the 25 chicken samples, 24 colonies were isolated that exhibited 0% to 92% resistance rates against selected antimicrobial agents. Most isolates were classified as MDR, but none were considered ESBL- and CP-CR . This study suggests that chickens in wet markets can potentially serve as reservoir hosts for drug-resistance genes, which could transfer to other bacteria and contaminate humans, animals, and the environment within the food production and supply chain. These findings emphasize the need for AMR surveillance and strategies to combat AMR in the Philippines through the One Health approach.