1Department of Veterinary Pathology, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar-125004, Haryana, India
2Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar-125004, Haryana, India
*Address for Correspondence Dr. (Mrs.) Deepika Lather, Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Pathology, LUVAS, Hisar, India, E-mail: deepikalather@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 12 October, 2020.
Multiple drug-resistant Escherichia coli infections are a growing public health concern. The investigation included through post mortem examination of 329 poultry carcasses brought to the Department of Veterinary Pathology, LUVAS, Hisar. E. coli infections were observed in 45.6 % broilers, 15.0 % layers and 17.5 % dual purpose breed chickens mainly in the age group of 0–1, 1–6 wks and in more than 12–24 wks and adults. Microbiological confirmation was carried out on the basis of primary culture and biochemical assays using Vitek-2 analysis system using pure colonies of different bacterial isolates. A total of 57.5% (46) isolates of E. coli were obtained from liver and heart blood from diseased chickens which were found associated with different disease conditions including colisepticemia (65.2%), ascites (8.6%), air sacculitis (17.4%) and gangrenous dermatitis in association with Marek's disease (4.3%). The serotypes of E.coli isolated include O83 (10), O84 (1), O121 (6), O118 (2), O49 (3), O157 (1). E. coli isolates were found to be most sensitive to gentamicin (100%) followed by polymyxin B (87%) and streptomycin (82.61%). Upon studying the multiple drug resistance (MDR) pattern, about 91.3% E. coli isolates showed MDR pattern.
Chicken, Escherichia coli, Liver, MDR, Pathology
