Isolation and characterization of bacteria from dead Peafowls in Dhaka zoo of Bangladesh

An attempt was undertaken to isolate and characterize bacteria from dead peafowls in Dhaka Zoo, Mirpur. Three samples (heart, liver and lung) were taken from each six dead peafowls and subjected to various cultural media, gram’s staining, different biochemical tests and molecular examination by PCR. 15 isolates (from 18 samples) were found as Escherichia coli that showed metallic sheen on EMB agar, rose pink colonies on Mac Conkey agar, positive to Indole and MR test, but negative to VP test and amplified the genus specific 16S rRNA gene, target size 585 bp. 5 isolates were Staphylococcus spp. Among them 3 were identified as Staphylococcus aureus on the basis of cultural properties in blood agar and followed by amplification of S. aureus specific nuc gene. The antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the isolated E. coli and S. aureus showed that the isolates were multidrug resistant. All E. coli isolates were 86.67% sensitive to Gentamycin, followed by 47% sensitive, 40% intermediate resistant, with 13.33% resistant to Ciprofloxacin, 26.67% sensitive, 53.34% intermediately resistant to Neomycin and 73.34% sensitive and 20% intermediately resistant to Colistin sulphate, and 100% resistant to Erythromycin. Staphylococcus spp. isolates were found to be 100% sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, followed by 80% sensitive, 20% intermediately resistant to Oxacillin, 40% sensitive, 60% intermediately resistant to Neomycin, and 100% resistant to Penicillin G and Erythromycin. The peafowls may be died due to multidrug resistant S. aureus and E. coli infection either in single or co-infection and might cause health hazards to human.