STUDIES ON Escherichia coli AND Salmonella FROM BROILER FEED SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM BROILER FARMS IN SYLHET WITH ANTIBIOGRAM PROFILE

Abstract

The study was principally conducted for the isolation, identification and antibiogram study of Escherichia coli and Salmonella from broiler feed samples collected from Sylhet. The feed samples were collected from different manufacturers available in Sylhet district like Aftab feed, Nourish feed, CP feed, Kazi feed and Quality feed. A total of 120 broiler feed samples (Starter 50, Grower 50 and Finisher 20) were tested; of which 34 (28.33%) and 36 (30%) samples were positive for E. coli and Salmonella respectively. E. coli produced large, smooth and sticky colonies with yellow green metallic sheen on EMB agar; bright pink colored colonies on MacConkey agar; yellowish green color colonies on BGA; slight pinkish colonies on

SS agar and pinkish red color colonies on VRB agar. Salmonella produced a raised, rounded

or circular, smooth, glistening, opaque, colorless, transparent or translucent with black center

on SS agar; colorless, smooth, pale and transparent and raised colonies on MacConkey agar;

pale pink colored colonies on BGA; colorless or pale colonies without metallic sheen on the

EMB

agar and colourless colonies on VRB agar. E. coli fermented the five basic sugars (dextrose, sucrose, lactose, maltose and mannitol) producing acid and gas; but Salmonella sp. fermented dextrose, maltose and mannitol and produced acid and gas but did not ferment lactose and sucrose. On TSI agar slant, E. coli and Salmonella showed positive result. The isolates of E. coli were indole and Methyl red test positive; Voges-Proskauer and Citrate Utilization test negative. The isolates of Salmonella spp. were Methyl red and Citrate Utilization test

positive;

indole and Voges-Proskauer test negative. In antibiogram study the isolates of E. coli were highly sensitive to Ceftriaxone 100%, Cotrimazole 66.67%, Gentamycin 60%, Cephalexin 53.34%, Amoxicillin & Chloramphenical 33.33% and Ampicillin 20%; moderately

sensitive

to Erythromycin 53.33%, Amoxicillin 46.67%, Ampicillin & Nalidixic acid 40%, Chloramphenical & Gentamycin 20% and Cephalexin & Cotrimazole 13.33%; less sensitive to Nalidixic acid 33.33%, Chloramphenical & Erythromycin 20%, Ampicillin, Cephalexin & Gentamycin 13.33% and Amoxicillin & Cotrimazole 6.67%; resistance to Penicillin & Bacitracin 100%, Ampicillin, Chloramphenical, Erythromycin & Nalidixic acid 26.67%, Cephalexin 20%, Amoxicillin & Cotrimazole 13.33% and Gentamycin 6.67%. The isolates of Salmonella

were highly sensitive to Ceftriaxone 100%, Cephalexin 66.67%, Gentamycin 53.34%, Cotrimazole 40%, Chloramphenical 26.67%, Amoxicillin 20% and Ampicillin 6.67%; moderately sensitive to Erythromycin 46.67%, Amoxicillin 40%, Ampicillin & Nalidixic acid 33.33%, Cotrimazole

& Gentamycin 26.67%, Chloramphenical 20% and Cephalexin

13.33%; less sensitive to Chloramphenical 40%, Erythromycin 33.33%, Amoxicillin 26.67%, Ampicillin & Nalidixic acid 20%, Cotrimazole 13.33% and Cephalexin 6.67%; resistance to Penicillin & Bacitracin 100%, Nalidixic acid 46.67%, Ampicillin 40%, Cotrimazole,

Erythromycin & Gentamycin 20% and Amoxicillin, Cephalexin, & Chloramphenical 13.33%. Commercial feeds can act as a carrier of pathogens for the broiler of all ages, so necessary measures should be taken to reduce the contamination of the feeds.