Unveiling Antibiotic Resistance, Virulence, and Molecular Detection of Enteric Bacterial Infections in Broilers: A Study in Egypt

Ibrahim, Amira Hassan; El Khashab, Elham; Shakal, Mohamed; Morsy, Eman Anter

doi:10.21608/ejvs.2024.254290.1715

Unveiling Antibiotic Resistance, Virulence, and Molecular Detection of Enteric Bacterial Infections in Broilers: A Study in Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Poultry diseases faculty of veterinary medicine Cairo university

² Cairo University, Faculty of veterinary medicine, Cairo university

³ Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University; Giza, 12211, Egypt

⁴ Cairo university faculty of Veterinary Medicine Department of poultry diseases

10.21608/ejvs.2024.254290.1715

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the most prevalent enteric pathogens that infect broilers and pose a crucial threat in Egyptian farms. A total of 84 farms in some Egyptian governorates were investigated. Samples of liver and intestine were used for the isolation and identification of possible pathogens using traditional and molecular techniques. Antimicrobial resistance testing was adopted against 11 antibiotics frequently used in the poultry field. Moreover, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the detection of isolates’ virulence genes. Results showed that mixed infections predominated over a single infection. The isolated bacteria species were Salmonella spp. E. coli and Clostridia with a percentage of 55%, 72% and 80%, respectively. Regarding Salmonella isolates, serotypes S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, and S. Kentucky were the most common serotypes with a percentage of 12.9%, 11.8%, and 9.67%, respectively. On the other hand, E. coli serotyped into 16 different serotypes. One hundred percent of Salmonella strains were positive for invA and ompA genes, and 50% were positive for stn and hilA genes. All E. coli strains were positive for iss, papC, and iutA and negative for tsh gene. The isolated strains of Clostridia were positive for Alpha - toxin only. The antibiotic profile showed nearly resistance to the most commonly used antibiotics in this study. This study sheds light on some serious enteric infections of broiler chickens by providing a simple picture of their virulence and antibiotic profile, emphasizing the critical need for proactive measures to effectively manage and minimize this problem.

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