Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157: H7 in poultry and camel around North West Rajasthan

Abstract

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a common zoonotic pathogen that causes most severe disease cases. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a major foodborne pathogen causing severe disease in humans and animals worldwide. Healthy animal are a reservoir of E. coli O157:H7, and animal food products and their by-product contaminated with their waste are the most common sources for disease outbreaks. In present study a total of 120 feacel sample were taken from North West rajas than. One hundred twenty samples were collected from camel, (n= 60) and poultry (n= 60). Seventy (58.33%) of the samples were positive for E. coli and then they were tested for serotype. The highest prevalence of E. coli O157 was found in both fecal samples (8.57%), while in camel fecal samples O7 (28.57%), O26 (14.28%), and three samples were untypable and two were remains blank. E. coli O157 also survives well in the environment. In poultry the highest sero group was only O121 (11.42%) followed by O7, O126, O128 (8.57%) and three sample were remains untypable. The abilities to cause human disease, colonize the gastrointestinal tract, and survive in the environment require that E. coli O157:H7 adapt to a wide variety of conditions. Three major virulence factors of E. coli O157: H7 have been identified including Shiga toxins, products of the pathogenicity and products of the F-like plasmid pO157.The data reported in this study provides some useful baseline in formation for future research such as molecular or epidemiologic works.