Use of epidemiologic markers to identify the source of Escherichia coli infections in poultry
Barbour, E.K.; Nabbut, N.H.; Al-Nakhli, H.M.
American Journal of Veterinary Research 46(4): 989-991
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9645 PMID: 3893244 Document Number: 252558
During an epidemiological study of poultry colisepticaemia on two Saudi Arabian poultry broiler farms, E. coli was isolated from 101 (40.4%) of the 250 specimens examined. The antigenic structure and the drug resistance pattern of 65.4% of the isolates from different sources were used as epidemiological markers to trace the source of the infection. The predominant serotypes involved in infections of two poultry broiler progeny farms were 033:H4 (51.8%) and 078:H- (19.6%) that had the following respective drug resistance patterns: furazolidone-streptomycin-sulfathiazole and streptomycin-sulfathiazole-tetracycline. E. coli strains with typical epidemiological markers were isolated from various sources on a broiler breeding farm, but not from well water from the infected progeny farm. Three other E. coli serotypes (045:H10[14.3%], 0119:H27[1.8%], and 0145:H25[1.8%]) were involved in poultry infection, but to a lesser extent. These 3 serotypes were multiply resistant against 5 to 6 of the antibiotics evaluated.