Microbiological Analysis and Susceptibility Pattern of Bacteria Isolated from Ratus rattus and Felis catus Faecal Pellets from Residenal Houses of Akungba Communities in Ondo State, Nige

Rats have become household commensals that are found in resi- dential areas and offices. Cat faeces and rat faecal pellets are in every corner of the house especially in the food stores and this may pose a serious hazard because the faeces may contain microorganisms that are both pathogenic to humans and resistant to several classes of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potentials for zoonotic infections and for the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in rat faecal pellets which contaminates the home, environ- ments especially the food stores and rural areas. Fresh faecal speci- men of cat and rat were collected from different houses in Akungba and Ikare communities in Ondo State. After culturing in appropriate media, diverse group of bacteria were isolated. These include Bacil- lus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Corynebacterium ulcerans, Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococ- cus epidermidis, Staphylococcus intermedius, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Moraxella sp., Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Citrobacter youngae, Enterobacter cloacae, Salmonella enterica, and Acinetobacter haemo- lyticus. Antibiotic susceptibility test was done using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Using commercially available antibiotic disc, multiple drug resistant Enterococci sp. and Staphylococcus aureus were detected from the rat and cat faecal samples. Determination of MIC of ofloxacin revealed a high MIIC value (5µg/ml) against the suscep- tible bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Aci- netobacter haemolyticus. The presence of the resistant bacteria in the house may represent a public health hazard which requires serious public enlightenment.