Non-Human Primates are one of the most displayed exhibits in zoological facilities in Nigeria. They share phylogenetic similarities with humans and a high probability of pathogen transfer exists between humans and these species during zoo visit. The resident microbial flora plays a vital part in animal health. A total of 36 swab (18 oral and 18 rectal) samples were collected from anaesthetised apparently healthy NHPs of the family Cercopithecidae (sub family Cercopithecinae) from two urban wildlife facilities. Standard bacteriological procedures were used in the isolation and identification of the bacteria. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using disc diffusion method according to Bauer-Kirby technique. All the samples yielded at least one bacterial organism. The oral swabs had 69.7% Gram positive and 30.3% Gram negative organisms while the rectal samples had 38.8% and 61.2% of Gram positive and negative organism respectively. The bacteria included; Bacillus spp., Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Micrococcus luteus, Proteus spp, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Citrobacter braakii, Serratia odorifera and Aeromonas hydrophila. . Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed high susceptibility of the isolates to ciprofloxacin (73.2%), sparfloxacin (70.7%), ofloxacin and pefloxacin (67.1%) and gentamycin (53.7%) while a high resistance was recorded against augmentin, amoxicillin, streptomycin and septrin. Some of the bacteria showed multidrug resistance to many of the antimicrobials. Isolation of cultivable bacteria with multidrug resistance from the oral and rectal orifices of NHPs strengthens the need for holistic sanitary and management regulations in zoological facilities housing these animals bearing in mind the probable routes of transmission of identified organisms.
Key words: non-human primates, bacteria, antimicrobial resistance, Abeokuta, oral, rectal
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