Detection and Identification of Escherichia coli from Poultry Meat and Associated Environmental Sources

Abstract

Background: Food-borne diseases are mostly caused by contaminated food materials through which infectious agents enter our body, which is one of the primary public health concerns. Among food-borne bacteria, E. coli is one of the typical pathogenic bacteria responsible for causing foodborne illnesses. The prevalence of E. coli in chicken meat is greater because it indicates unhygienic conditions at the shop level. Chicken meat gets contaminated by E. coli due to contamination of intestinal content while handling chicken meat. Aim: The present study was undertaken to isolate and identify Escherichia coli from poultry meat and the associated environment. Method: A total of 350 samples, including 250 poultry meat samples and 100 environmental samples, were collected from retail meat shops in and around Junagadh district of Gujarat state. All the Poultry meat and environmental samples were inoculated into MacConkey broth (10 ml) for pre-enrichment and incubated at 370 °C for 24 hrs.  The incubated inoculum was streaked on MacConkey agar and incubated at 370 °C for 24 hrs. Lactose-fermenting pink colonies were further streaked on eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar.  The plates were incubated at 370 °C for 24 hrs., and colonies with greenish metallic sheen were observed for confirmation of E. coli. Results: Out of 350 samples, 203 (58.00 %) samples were positive for E. coli which included 162 (62.00%) samples were from poultry meat, 19 (38.00 %) samples from butcher’s hand swabs and 22 (44.00 %) from water samples were positive for E. coli. Conclusion: The majority of poultry meat and associated environmental samples marketed at local meat retailers were found to be contaminated with E. coli. The emergence of antibiotic resistance in E. coli is of public health concern and needs to raise public awareness regarding the indiscriminate use of antibiotics as growth promoters or prophylaxis in livestock to curb the spread of antibiotic resistance.