Nitroxynil efficacy and some antimicrobials sensitivity against organisms isolated from Asiatic Elephant, Bangabandhu Safari Park, Dulahazara, Bangladesh

Abstract

Wild life conservation is immeasurably important for ecology and simultaneously periodical assessment of health status of these animals is necessary for public health safety. The aims of the present study were to estimate the nitroxynil efficacy and antimicrobial sensitivity against gastrointestinal parasite and microbiota, respectively, in Asiatic elephants. The study was carried out in a Safari Park of Bangladesh. Four fecal samples were collected and quantitative parasitological examinations were performed by McMaster technique before and after nitroxynil treatment. Furthermore, antimicrobial sensitivity tests were also performed on microbiota isolated from the feces through disk diffusion method. Eggs of Strongyloides sp were identified on fecal examination. The male had higher egg per gram (EPG) (18.20+2.80) than female (16.00:0.00) where as below 30 years of age group of elephants had higher EPG (18.50=3.53) than above 30 years of age group (16.80÷1.97) before treatment. In both sex and age groups, eggs load were decreased up to 50% in feces after nitroxynil treatment. Moreover, gastrointestinal microbiota (Salmonella sp, Shigella sp, Campylobacter sp and E. coli) were also isolated from fecal samples. A total of 9 antimicrobials were tested and among them gentamicin (100%), ciprofloxacin (75%) ampicillin (25%) and cefadroxil (25%) were found strongly sensitive. It can be concluded that nitroxynil can reduce nearly half of the parasitic load whereas 100% sensitivity to only one antimicrobial (gentamicin) indicates emergence of resistance micro-organism even in semi captive conditions of wild elephants. Considering the semi-captive condition of wild elephants, further controlled drug trials are warranted.