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Page No. : 84-90

ABSTRACT

Antibiotic use in aquaculture has paved way to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the environment. The present study explored the antibiotic resistance pa! ern of 31 isolates of Campylobacter jejuni, comprising isolates from marine fi shes (4), crustaceans (4), molluscs (4) and points of contamination in fi sh catchment areas (9) in Kerala, respectively, as well as two fresh-water fi sh, fi ve water and three soil isolates. Isolates were tested for antibacterial susceptibility by disc diff usion method against 36 diff erent antibiotics, using Mueller Hinton agar plates with 5% sheep blood and incubated at 42oC for 24h under microaerophilic conditions. All 12 marine fi sh and shellfi sh (crustacean and mollusc) isolates were cent per cent resistant to cefepime, erythromycin, ciprofl oxacin and vancomycin and cent per cent sensitive to doripenem. Cent per cent of the C. jejuni isolates from seafood and related environment showed multi-drug resistance. The overall multiple antimicrobial resistance (MAR) index of the isolates ranged from 0.33-0.89. The need for a concerted multi-stakeholder action to contain the spread as well as emergence of antibiotic resistance in aquaculture has risen.
Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, Campylobacter jejuni, disc diff usion method, fi sh, shellfi sh