Antimicrobial Resistance Through the Lens of One Health in Ethiopia: A Review of the Literature Among Humans, Animals, and the Environment

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to review and describe antimicrobial resistance (AMR) prevalence in humans, animals, and the environment in Ethiopia.

Methods: We conducted a structured review of literature on AMR in humans, animals, and the environment in Ethiopia from 2016-2020. We reported the pooled prevalence of AMR of bacterial pathogens in all 3 sectors.

Results: We included 43 articles in our review. Only 5 studies evaluated AMR across multiple sectors. The most common bacteria in humans were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus. High prevalence of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim were seen in gram-negative organisms, often with >50% prevalence of resistance. Highest resistance rates were seen in humans, followed by environmental isolates. Salmonella spp. exhibited higher rates of resistance than previously reported in the literature. We found methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in approximately half of S. aureus from the environment and a third from human isolates. Few studies evaluated AMR across all 3 sectors.

Conclusion: Our review demonstrated high prevalence of AMR among bacteria in humans, animals, and the environment in Ethiopia. Integrating a One Health approach into AMR surveillance as part of Ethiopia's national surveillance program will inform future implementation of One Health interventions.

Keywords: Ethiopia; One Health; antimicrobial resistance.