Study the presence of Escherichia coli in broiler chicken meat as potential public health threat

Abstract

Escherichia coli is an important pollution indicator and its pathogenic strains is a serious public health concern. A study was conducted to investigate the presence of E. coli in Jalalabad city’s raw broiler meat retail shops and markets and its antimicrobial sensitivity pattern to common antibiotics. Total number (n = 130) of samples were studied, out of which 34.6 % (45/130) were found contaminated with E. coli. The prevalence of pathogenic strain O157 was 3.8% (5/130). In the antibiogram study, 88.9 % (40/45) isolates showed resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline. The resistance against kanamycin were 20% (9/45), whereas 24.5% (11/45) against streptomycin. Several E. coli isolates were found resistant to multiple antibiotics. One E. coli isolate showed resistance to seven antibiotics (ampicillin, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid and kanamycin) out of nine antibiotics used in the study. The antibiotic resistance of E. coli to common commercial antibiotic is a potential threat to food safety and public health of Jalalabad city in Nangarhar province. That is why, Preventing food contamination and human infection from E. coli requires control measures at all stages of the food production continuum: from agricultural production, to processing, manufacturing, transporting, storing, and preparation of foods in both commercial establishments and the domestic environment.