MULTIDRUG RESISTANT BACTERIAL PATHOGENS IN EGGS COLLECTED FROM BACKYARD CHICKENS

A total of two hundred eggs collected from backyard balady chickens were examined for the presence of Salmonella spp., E. coli, and Coagulase Positive Staphylococci. Out of the total examined samples, no Salmonella was detected. A total of 36 E. coli strains were isolated with an overall isolation rate of 18%. Eighty (40%) Coagulase Positive Staphylococci isolates were detected. Serotyping of E.coli isolates revealed the predominance of O 27 at a rate of 22% among the 13 identified serotypes. However, 5 (14%) of the E. coli isolates were untypeable. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Coagulase Positive Staphylococci was studied against 15 different chemotherapeutic agents. The highest resistance rates were detected against oxytetracyclin, oxacillin and trimethoprim sulphamethazole with resistance rates of 90%, 86.7% and 86.7%, respectively. The highest sensitivity rate was detected towards ampicillin with a percentage of 87%. E. coli isolates were tested for its susceptibility against 14 different antibiotics, the highest resistance rates were recorded against trimethoprim- sulphamethazole, doxycycline, tetracycline and amoxycillin with resistance rates 94.1%, 93.2%, 92.9%, and 92.3%, respectively. While the highest sensitivity rates were detected for colistin, cefotaxim, gentamycin and ciprofloxacin with sensitivity rates of 94.4%, 76.5% 59.8% and 55.6%, respectively. The antibiotic susceptibility results were judged by PCR, for E. coli strains, the blaTEM, sul1 and tetA(A) genes were tested for the s-lactams, trimethoprim sulphamethazone and tetracyclines, respectively. While the mecA, blaZ and tetK genes were tested for the evaluation of the susceptibility of Coagulase Positive Staphylococci against oxacillin, s-lactams, and tetracyclines, respectively. E. coli virulence was tested by PCR through the testing of iss, eaeA, stx1, stx2, tsh and pap C genes. While the virulence of Coagulase Positive Staphylococci was estimated through testing of the enterotoxins genes in addition to coagulase, spa and hlg genes.