Aim: Gentamicin is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial used in the treatment of variety of bacterial infections in poultry, its residue in tissues is known to have deleterious effect in man when consumed. The study aimed to determine the use of gentamicin by poultry farmers and the presence and prevalence of gentamicin residue in tissues of commercial broilers in Ikpa slaughter house Nsukka.
Methodology: The study adopted cross-sectional survey using questionnaire and immunological screening. A total of 108 broilers were sampled, testing 108 each of Muscle, liver and kidney tissues for gentamicin residue using Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Result: The questionnaire survey revealed that in the management practices, 55.2% of the farms use intensive deep litter, 21% intensive battery cage, and 23.6% extensive farming system. Twenty-seven (71%) farms rear only broilers, 10.5% layers, and 18.4% both. The feeding management showed that 21.1% of farmers produce their own feed (medicated) while 78.8% use commercial feed, of which 11.5% incorporate antibiotics. Hundred (100%) of the respondents use gentamicin and only 47.3% are aware of the consequences of antimicrobial residue in foods of animal origin, with knowledge of the legislation on the prudent use of antimicrobials in food animals. The prevalence of gentamicin residue in surveyed birds was 65% with tissue distribution as follows: muscle (44.4%), liver (51.9%) and kidney (59.3%).
Conclusion: Poultry Farms in the study area make constant use of gentamicin
without observing its withdrawal period before sale, and a high percentage of the commercial birds meant for human consumption contain gentamicin residue. Therefore, consumers might be at risk of consuming gentamicin as parent drug or its metabolites in commercial poultry
Key words: gentamicin, residue, poultry, ELISA, farm mangement
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