ABSTRACT

PATHOGENICITY AND ANTIBIOTIC SENSITIVITY OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

ISOLATED FROM SUSPECTED COLIBACILLOSIS OF COMMERCIAL

POULTRY IN CHITWAN

Jibachha Sah (M.V.Sc. thesis).

A study was conducted in Veterinary Hospital Research and Training Centre

(VHRTC) and the Veterinary Microbiology Laboratory Rampur Campus from July 2008 to

June 2010 with an objective to determine presence and pathogenicity of Escherichia coli

and response of selected antimicrobial agents. Among the total of 440 samples, 85 (67

from broilers and 18 from layers) (19.31%) were obtained positive for E. coli. There is no

significance difference (p>0.05) in prevalence of E. coli between pericarditis and

perihepatitis of broilers and layers samples. Out of 67 of E. coli from broiler, 44 (65.67%)

were from perihepatitis and 23 (34.32%) were from pericarditis. Likewise, out of 18 E.

coli from layers, 13 (72.22%) were from perihepatitis and 5 (27.77%) were from

pericarditis. Invitro pathogenicity index in E. coli from clinical samples of poultry were of

71.76% Congo red positive and 54.11% hemolytic in 5% sheep blood agar and 100%

motile. In-vivo pathogenicity index a total of four chicks in first group G1 (Group first

experimented with 105CFU/bird) were dead within six days of post inoculation. The

mortality was recorded as 70%. Four chicks were dead in second group G2 (Group second

experimented with 104CFU/bird) and mortality was recorded as 40%. However, in the

experimented groups with 105CFU/bird along with antibiotic, a total of five chicks were

dead within 10 days of post inoculation. Where mortality was recorded as 10%, 20% and
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20% in experimented with Enrofloxacin, Norfloxacin and Doxycycline plus Colistin

Sulphate respectively. In in-vivo pathogenicity test, Gentamicin, Amoxicillin and

Chloramphenicol were showed more effective than the combination of Doxycyclin plus

Colistin Sulphate and Norfloxacin. In high sensitive categories Amoxicillin (61.17%),

Gentamicin (81.17%), Chloramphenicol (61.16%), Enrofloxacin (63.52%), Norfloxacin

(56.74%) and Doxycycline plus Colistin Sulphate (37.64%) were observed. The analysis of

resistant pattern showed that Norfloxacin (38.82%), Doxycycline plus Colistin Sulphate

(32.94%), Enrofloxacin (29.21%), while Amoxocillin and Gentamicin had no resistant

pattern to E. coli. Overall, four resistance patterns were observed among 85 E. coli and

83.19% were found to be resistant to more than one antimicrobial with simultaneous

multidrug resistance in up to five antimicrobials. The experimental survivor group was

significantly lower (P<0.05) for packed cell volume and red cell count (p<0.05) and

significantly higher (P<0.05) for mean cell haemoglobin.

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