Malaysian Journal of Microbiology, Vol 16(4) 2020, pp. 302-311 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21161/mjm.190633 Malaysian Journal of Microbiology Published by Malaysian Society for Microbiology (In since 2011) 302 ISSN (print): 1823-8262, ISSN (online): 2231-7538 *Corresponding author Prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria isolated from raw chicken meat Sarannia Thanganathan, Astha Latchumi Sanglidevan and Kamariah Hasan* School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Quest International University Perak, Plaza Teh Teng Seng, Jalan Raja Permaisuri Bainun 30250, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. Email: kamariah@qiup.edu.my Received 7 November 2019; Received in revised form 28 February 2020; Accepted 30 March 2020 ABSTRACT Aims: Antibiotics are widely used in poultry industry for treatment, control and in preventing the spread of infectious diseases among chicken flocks. The uncontrolled use of antibiotic causes the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria which is a major concern worldwide. The aim of this study is to isolate and molecularly identify antibiotic resistant bacteria using raw chicken meat samples from farm, supermarket, wet market as well as free-range chicken. Methodology and results: A total of 34 isolates were obtained through primary screening based on their ability to grow on streptomycin, kanamycin, ampicillin and cefazolin antibiotic plates. Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion test performed on the 34 isolates showed that they were highly resistant to oxacillin (97%) and penicillin (94%) followed by ampicillin (64%), cefazolin (50%), tetracycline (32%), erythromycin (24%), ciprofloxacin (21%) and least resistance towards gentamycin (6%). Eight isolates with the highest antibiotic resistance, were selected for molecular identification using 16S rDNA sequencing. Analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence using BLASTN and phylogenetic tree constructed on the selected isolates revealed that five different species of antibiotic resistant bacteria namely Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Chryseobacterium gleum, Comamonas testosteroni and Bacillus cereus were successfully identified from the different types of chicken sample. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: The excessive use of antibiotic in the poultry farm industries had caused the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria which can harm the health of people consuming chicken meat. To overcome this crisis, antibiotic usage in the poultry farm industries should be regulated. Keywords: 16S rDNA, antibiotic resistant bacteria, Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion, poultry industry INTRODUCTION The economic and health benefits of using antibiotics have transformed poultry and livestock production intensively. Previously, the use of antibiotics was mainly focused in overcoming infectious diseases and restoring human health but as time goes on, poultry producers saw the importance of using antibiotics to prevent infectious diseases in animals (Castanon, 2007). However, the overuse of antibiotics in poultry industry can lead to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria that has caused a viral public health concern in many countries (Lior and Bjerrum, 2014). Government from all around the world are beginning to pay attention to the rise of antimicrobial resistance within wide range of infectious agents as it threatens the achievements of modern medicine (Roca et al., 2015). The emergence of bacterial foodborne pathogens resistant to antibiotics reflects evolutionary processes that take place as animals are being exposed to antibiotics (Adzitey, 2015). Resistance of foodborne pathogen to antibiotics can occur by inheritance of resistant gene due to horizontal gene transfer especially in location of frequent antibiotic use such as hospitals and farms (Adzitey, 2015; Witte, 2004). When an antibiotic is used in poultry farming, the drug eradicates the sensitive bacterial strains, leaving behind those variants with unusual traits that can resist it. These resistant bacteria then proliferate, growing their numbers and becoming the major microorganism in the population. The development of antibiotic resistance threatens not only the effective prevention but also the treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections. It has reduced the effectiveness of available antibiotics. Thus, the treatment of patient with antimicrobial resistance disease has become more difficult, costly or even impossible. The issues of antibiotic resistant bacteria have become a complex global public health challenge. The development and implementation of effective strategies to overcome the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria in poultry industries depend on the collection of accurate information. In order to evaluate the effect of antibiotic resistant bacteria on human, it is necessary to collect information on the evolution, extent and impact of