Isolation, characterization, pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia Coli from poultry farms

Of 500 samples screened, 225 (45%) E. coli isolates from poultry farms of Andhra Pradesh were serotyped as O₂, O₅, O₈, O₂₀, O₂₈, O₆₀, O₆₉, O₈₂, O₁₀₀, O₁₁₁, O₁₂₃, O₁₂₈, O₁₃₈, O₁₄₃ and O₁₅₆. The hemagglutination (HA) study using erythrocytes of guinea pig, mice, rabbit, cattle, goat, sheepand chicken showed five HA patterns. Mannose sensitive strains of six serotypes caused air sacculitis, pericarditis, perihepatitis andperitonitis in pathogenicity assays. The pathogenic nature was studied by Congo red binding test. Chloremphenicol was most effective drug on E.coli isolates tested, followed by streptomycin, gentamycin and kanamycin.