Ackground and Aim: Several factors contribute to the unusual incidence of antibiotic resistance, which is now a primary public health concern. However, failure in managing preventive and therapeutic antibiotic use on farms is one of the most crucial factors. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the biosecurity of farms, farmers' competence, and practices related to antibiotics and their resistance in poultry and pig rearing in Togo. Materials and Methods: Through a cross-sectional survey, 121 commercial poultry farmers and 97 commercial pig farmers were questioned to evaluate the biosecurity of farms and farmers' competence and practices related to antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. Descriptive analyses, including the evaluation of proportions, were carried out. In addition, results from qualitative factors were evaluated in a defined grid and totaled up to assess cleanliness measures, awareness, and behavior regarding antibiotics and their resistance. Results: The results demonstrated that most farmers working on poultry farms had a university education, while most working on pig farms had secondary education. Most poultry (69%) and pig (44%) farms were of small sizes (<1000 animals in poultry and <10 animals in pig farming). The footbaths were used in just 51% of poultry farms and 4% of pig farms, respectively, with 37% and 82% of poultry and pig farms having inadequate levels of hygiene. In poultry farms, respiratory issues and periodic decline in egg-laying were the main problems. Simultaneously, skin disorders (scabies) and plagues (African swine fever) were the primary health constraints in pig farming. Tetracycline is the most commonly used antibiotic by farmers. However, in poultry and pig farms, 21% and 67% of farmers were unaware of antibiotics. In addition, 39% and 57% were unaware of antibiotic resistance. Poultry and pig farmers' competence were substantially linked to their education level. Poultry farmers demonstrated better practices, including procuring antibiotics based on veterinary prescriptions (63%) and they knew where antibiotics should be bought (90%). Nevertheless, 43% of farmers asserted unpleasant activities – no application for laboratory testing (93%) and use of antibiotics for prevention (82%). In pig farming, most farmers (69%) reported inadequate incidents of the use of antibiotics. Conclusion: This study identified a crucial non-compliance with biosecurity measures and good practices toward antibiotic use on many farms. Therefore, training of farmers is mandatory for safe livestock products.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is growing at an alarming rate to the point of outpacing the development of new means of infection control, thus threatening public health and the economics of agriculture. This study aims to explore poultry farmers’ level of knowledge about the dangers of antibiotic resistance, and their attitude and behavior during the use of antibiotics in poultry. Methods: In November 2022, a semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information from 153 poultry farms in the “Maritime Region’’ and “Grand-Lome District’’. The collected data concerned awareness of the behavioral gestures and dangers of antibiotic resistance that put poultry farmers in contact with resistant bacteria. Results: The findings revealed that 56.1% of poultry farmers (82 out of 146) were aware of antibiotic resistance, while 63% (70 out of 119) understood the risk of human contamination through poultry products. Despite this awareness, 55.6% (74 out of 133) of farms lacked protective measures during tasks such as handling droppings or administering antibiotics. A significant association was observed between animal health training and both awareness of antibiotic resistance and biosecurity practices (p < 0.05). However, no association was found between the training received and the poultry farmers' behavior regarding the use of antibiotics (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion: Poultry farmers’ attitudes and behavior are favorable to the dissemination of resistant bacteria. It is necessary to continue sensitization by focusing on the risk factors that can put poultry farmers in contact with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Background and Purpose: The medical sector is facing therapeutic dead ends due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which leads to human death and economic losses for poultry farmers. This study aimed to investigate the diversity of resistance genes in Enterobacteriaceae on poultry farms. Methods: Illumina sequencing was used for the cultivation of 184 poultry fecal samples, identification using the API 10S Biomerieux gallery, antibiotic susceptibility testing by disk diffusion, and DNA extraction using the Biocentric Bruker automated system. Results: Among the 164 isolates, Escherichia coli was the most isolated species (84.78%, n = 156), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (3.26%, n = 06), and Salmonella spp. (0.01%, n = 02). Among 156 Escherichia coli strains, 10% (n = 18) were extended-spectrum bêta-lactamase (ESBL) producers. Among the 13 sequenced ESBL-producing E. coli strains, 53 resistance genes were identified with moderate variability and some were strain-specific. Co-localization of plasmids with virulence genes was also observed. Several blaTEM variants that encode beta-lactam resistance have been frequently detected. The ompK37 and ompK36 mutants coding for carbapenemase production were identified in one strain. One strain carried mcr-1.1 gene. Conclusion: Antibiotics used in poultry farming contribute to the selection of resistant and highly virulent clones. Strengthening regulations on antibiotic use in poultry farming is necessary.