Phenotypic Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Escherichia Coli Isolates from Chickens Presented For Slaughter at Fune Local Government Area Yobe, Nigeria

Escherichia coli (E. coli) are one of the known major causative agents causing food borne diseases such as food poisoning and diarrhea. Various transmission agents such as ruminants, poultry had been known to transmit diseases to human mainly through food consumption. This study was conducted to isolate, identify and to carry out antimicrobial susceptibility from chickens presented for slaughter in Fune LGA, Yobe State, Nigeria. A cloacal swab sample was collected and transported to the Veterinary Microbiology Laboratory, University of Maiduguri and analyzed for the presence of E. coli. Samples were then plate on MacConkey media and colonies were pinkish, it was then subcultured on Eosin Methylene Blue to obtain a pure culture showing a greenish metallic sheen and thus, confirmed by biochemical test. A total of 150 cloacal swab samples (101 males, 49 female chickens, 75 local and exotic each) were randomly sampled for the isolation of E. coli. The result show that 12 (25%) E. coli was isolated from female chickens, 40 (40%) was isolated from adult male chickens and 32 (42.67%) from local chickens while 20 (26.67%) was isolated from exotic chickens. The overall isolation rate was 52 (35%). All the 52 positive isolates showed positive for Indole, Methyl red and Tripple sugar ion tests. While negative result for Citrate, Catalase and Urease tests. Exotic chickens showed the highest resistance level of (15%) to commonly used antibiotics. Among all the chickens samples 16 (30.77%) of the positive isolates are susceptible to Ciprofloxacin, 4 (7.69%) to Nitrofurantion, 10 (19.23%) to Ofloxacin, and 12 (23.07%) to Gentamicin, while 2 (3.85%) were intermediate to Ceftazidime, 1 (1.92%) to Cefuroxime, 1 (1.92%) to Cefixime, and 1 (1.92%) to Augmentin. Whereas, 1 (1.92%) was resistance to Ceftazidime, 1 (9.2%) to Cefuroxime, 2 (3.85%) to Cefixime and 1 (1.92%) to Augmentin. .It is therefore, recommend the use of Gentamicin, Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin for the treatment of E. coli infection in chickens.