Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences

Research Article
Adv. Anim. Vet. Sci. 7(s2): 163-168
Http://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.aavs/2019/7.s2.163.168
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Lammah Kamel Abd El-Samie1*, Amany M. Abd-Elmoaty2, Nermin A. Ibrahim2, Wageh Sobhy Darwish3

1Avian and Rabbit diseases, The Educational Veterinary Hospital, Zagazig University 44519, Egypt; 2Department of Bacteriology, Mycology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt; 3Department of Food Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.

Abstract | Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) represents a major threat of the Egyptian poultry industry in and worldwide leading to high economic losses. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of APEC strains and its tissue distribution in diseased ducks of different ages in Sharkia governorate, Egypt, between June and September 2018. Detection of virulence-associated genes among the identified serotypes was carried out using multiplex PCR. Also, the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated serotypes was examined using the disk-diffusion method. Our results revealed that E. coli isolation rate was 69 out of 200 samples (34.5%) and the highest prevalence was recorded at ducklings of 1-2 weeks old. Liver had the highest prevalence rate among the examined tissue (50%), followed by spleen (42.5%), heart (30%), lungs (25%) and gizzards (25%), respectively. Six serotypes were successively identified; E. coli O55:H7, E. coli O127:H6, E. coli O111:H4, E. coli O114:H21, E. coli O78:H- and E. coli O26:H11 at which E. coli O55:H7 serotype was the highest isolation rate 27.54% (19/69). Such pathogenic serotypes harbored virulence-associated genes including tsh, astA and iroN. Finally, antimicrobial sensitivity testing indicated that the isolated E. coli serotypes had multidrug-resistant profiles while gentamycin, neomycin and lincomycin are considered as promising candidates for the control of E. coli infection in ducks in Egypt.

Keywords | E. coli, Ducks, Virulence genes, Antimicrobial sensitivity test