Antibiotic profiling of multidrug resistant pathogens in one-day-old chicks imported from Belgium to Benin

Little data exist on the presence of resistant pathogens in day-old chicks imported into Benin. The occurrence of pathogenic bacteria was assessed in 180 one-day-old chicks imported from Belgium and received at the Cardinal Bernardin Gantin International Airport in Cotonou (Benin). The samples included swabbing the blisters of 180 chicks, followed by 18 pools of 10 swabs for bacterial isolation. 

This study confirms that imported day-old chicks can be a potential source of dissemination of resistant bacteria in poultry production. A system for immediate detection of resistant bacteria in chicks upon arrival in the country is thus needed.