engleski

Antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from poultry and pet birds

Antibiotics were often used in intensive poultry production not just to treat disease, but also to prevent bacterial infections. Uncontrolled usage of antibiotics has therefore led to the development of antimicrobial resistance. The spread of resistant bacteria such as E. coli through the food chain can represent a risk for public health. E. coli bacteria represent normal microflora in a bird’s intestine, although some strains can cause avian colibacilosis, a systemic fatal disease and one of the major infectious diseases in birds of different species. The aim of this study was to compare the level of antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli found in intensive and extensive poultry production, and in pet bird patients. Samples from poultry were taken during necropsy from different organs, while samples from other birds were taken during clinical examinations. Samples were cultured using a standard bacteriological examination, and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using the disk diffusion method. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed on 43 E. coli isolates. The results showed a high level of antimicrobial resistance (68.93 %), with the majority of resistant strains being isolated from intensive poultry production (44.6 %), 26.3% from free range poultry, 11.3 % from pet birds, and 17.8 % from pet bird breeders. These results are expected, since in intensive poultry production the use of antimicrobial therapy is frequent, which results in resistance development, especially in cases of underdosing and short therapy periods. Such resistant strains could significantly compromise production, so other methods should be used to defeat them, such as autogenous vaccines, probiotics etc.

E. coli, antimicrobial resistance, poultry, pet birds

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