First instance of Colistin resistance bacteria in South Africa

© decade3d – 123RF.com

A new gene, which makes bacteria highly resistant to Colistin, what is commonly considered an antimicrobial of 'last resort', was found in poultry, pigs and people in China late last year and has already spread to other parts of Asia, as well as Europe and Africa, including the UK and Malaysia.

"What is worrying is that this gene, known as the MCR-1 gene, is already being transmitted between common bacteria such as E.coli, which can cause urinary tract and many other types of infection, and Klesbsiella pneumoniae, which causes pneumonia and other infections. This suggests the potential for it to spread between other bacterial populations, increasing the resistance to antimicrobials, or antibiotics," says V-Tech CEO, Johan Oosthuyse.

This also comes at a time when concerns have been raised by the South African Poultry Association about poultry health standards in South Africa, as a result of the renewed terms of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), strengthening the argument for surveillance programmes such as V-Tech's, currently the only one of its kind in South Africa.

For the past eight years, V-Tech has conducted extensive surveillance of the use of antimicrobials in animals, and has promoted the responsible use of antimicrobials in animals. "Over 60% of poultry producers in the country use our surveillance programme, in which we manage the types of antimicrobials prescribed, the time needed to medicate the animals properly and the correct dosage to use."

Surveillance programme

With this in mind, as soon as the threat of Colistin resistance was identified, V-Tech collaborated with bacteriologists in Switzerland and started developing a test to identify its presence using E.coli samples in its library. "As a result, we identified the presence of the MCR-1 gene in samples that have been collected from a number of South African poultry farms in the last quarter of 2015, as part of our programme."

V-Tech has subsequently amended the surveillance programme to scan for the MCR-1 gene as routine going forward. This will enable the early identification of the E.coli that carries the gene and prevent the use of Colistin on farms where bacteria with the gene are present.

Oosthuyse says that Colistin may only be used in animals if prescribed by a veterinarian. "A strict protocol for veterinarians to prescribe Colistin for use in animals in future will be presented by V-Tech to the Department of Health by the end of January 2016. This will limit the risk of further spread of the MCR-1 gene and the resultant risk to humans, which is of concern given the increasing threat of AMR."

He adds that V-Tech supports the prudent use of Colistin in animals. "Colistin remains an important antimicrobial in animal health and welfare and a total ban on its use in animals will negatively impact meat production, as there will be fewer treatment options available for sick animals. This will lead to even higher prices for meat and poultry, negatively impacting the consumer, who is already under severe pressure as a result of local economic conditions."