Isolation of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli from Poultry Faeces and Raw Chicken

Poultry meat especially chicken has been one of the most preferred, widely marketed and easily available meat foods. Chicken, turkey and ducks are reared for meat purpose, however little is known about their role in the faecal carriage of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli pathotypes. A study was aimed to isolate E. coli from the cloacae swabs of chicken, turkey, duck and raw chicken. A total of 146 E. coli were isolated from 351 samples screened. Out of them, 50 E. coli were randomly selected for detection of DEC strains and their phylogrouping by multiplex PCR. Nine E. coli (18%) were confirmed as DEC strains. Pathotype wise distribution was revealed as: typical tEPEC (4%), atypical aEPEC (2%), EAEC (4%), EIEC (2%), STEC (2%) and multivirulent ETEC + aEPEC (4%). DEC strains belonged to phylogroups A (55.56%) and B2 (44.44%). Out of nine, three DEC strains were ESBL producing. Of the 10 antimicrobials included in the panel of study, high degree of resistance (100%) was expressed to nalidixic acid, tetracycline, amoxycilin-clavulanic acid, colistin and trimethoprim followed by ciprofloxacin and ampicillin (88.89% each). Isolates were sensitive to chloramphenicol and gentamicin. In conclusion, broilers, layer birds and raw chicken are the reservoirs of the highly resistant DEC strains which pose a probable public health and food safety risk.