Rashid, MohdThakur, Ganesh Singh2024-04-022024-04-022022-03-06APAhttps://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810207949Escherichia coli (E. coli) a potential pathogen found in the intestines of birds, animals and humans of public health significance. A study was conducted to isolate and characterize the Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli of the poultry and poultry environment in Jammu district. A total of 200 samples (ninety from faecal matter, forty-five from waterers, forty from Federer’s, and twenty-five hand-swabs of poultry workers) from 23 poultry farms were collected and processed. Out of 200 samples, 148 E. coli isolates were obtained and further processed for molecular characterisation for the screening of stx1, stx2, eaeA and ehxA. Eight out of 148 (5.40%) E. coli isolates were found positive for possessing virulence genes. Seven out of 08 (87.50%) found in faecal matter and remaining one, (12.50%) found in waterer of poultry farms. Out of five stx2 genes, four were detected in combination with eaeA genes and one alone stx2 was detected in faecal matter, while three eaeA genes were detected in samples from waterers. No target virulence genes found in feed and handwash samples. In antibiotic sensitivity assay, all virulent isolates were resistant to enrofloxacin (100%) followed by cefotaxime (87.50%), nalidixic acid (62.50%), norfloxacin (62.50%), tetracycline (50.00%), ciprofloxacin (50.00%) and sulphadiazine (37.50%). Among the sensitive antibiotics, amoxiclav (87.50%) was the most sensitive followed by chloramphenicol (75.00%), polymixin-B (75.00%) and doxycycline hydrochloride (62.50%). Majority of the poultry workers isolate their sick birds from healthy one and well aware about the contagious nature of diseases. Coherence was found between antibiotics usage by poultry farmers and antibiotic resistance obtained in the study.EnglishThesis