Volume 16, Issue 2: 2026 - Article 241

Abstract
Pasteurella multocida is an important pathogen of poultry with significant One Health implications, yet its epidemiology in Muscovy ducks and associated aquatic environments remain under-investigated in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated the prevalence, environmental distribution, antimicrobial resistance patterns and risk factors associated with occurrence of P. multocida in ducks and associated water bodies in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional survey, conducted from September 2024 to August 2025, involving 400 samples, comprising 200 duck swabs (oropharyngeal and cloacal) and 200 water samples collected from communal water sources. Standard bacteriological methods and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion) methods and procedures were applied. Results showed that the overall prevalence of P. multocida in ducks was 23.0% (46/200), while the prevalence in water sources was 16.0% (32/200). Oropharyngeal swabs yielded higher P. multocida prevalence (15.0%) than cloacal swabs (8.0%), indicating the upper respiratory tract as a key site of P. multocida colonization. Among water bodies, samples obtained from ponds (22.9%) and drainage channels (18.0%) had higher P. multocida contamination levels than the ones obtained from stagnant pools (12.5%) and irrigation ditches (5.0%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed high sensitivity of the P. multocida to fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin – 87.2%; enrofloxacin – 83.3%) and gentamicin (76.9%), whereas substantial resistance was recorded for tetracyclines (46.2%), streptomycin (42.3%) and β-lactams. Notably, 59.0% of the isolates were multidrug resistant. Risk factors analyses demonstrated significant associations (p < 0.05) between P. multocida occurrence and extensive management systems, mixed-species rearing, access to communal water sources, poor biosecurity and frequent use of antimicrobial agents. These findings highlight the dual role of ducks and aquatic environments as reservoirs of P. multocida, and underscore the influence of management practices on pathogen transmission.

Keywords: Pasteurella multocida; Muscovy ducks; Antimicrobial resistance; One Health; Aquatic environments.

How to cite this article:
Lawal JR, Lawan FA, Ndahi JJ, Gazali HK, Ezema KU and Balami AG (2026). One Health epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance profile of Pasteurella multocida in Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) and aquatic environments in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. Journal of Veterinary and Applied Sciences, 16(2): 1630 – 1647.

*Correspondence: E-mail:     rabana4real@unimaid.edu..ng     Phone: +2348032886428

One Health epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance profile of Pasteurella multocida in Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) and aquatic environments in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Jallailudeen R. Lawal ^{1 *}, Fatima A. Lawan ², Juliana J. Ndahi ³, Hadiza K. Gazali ⁴, Kingsley U. Ezema ³ and Arhyel G. Balami ^1
1 Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
² Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
³ Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
⁴ Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

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