Isolation, Identification and Antibiogram Study of Salmonella spp. from Poultry Farm Environment

Wide spread use of antimicrobials in poultry farming here is a concern of multi-drug microbial resistance development that can potentially be transmitted to human pathogens even from non-pathogenic carrier strains. Attempt was made to assess drug susceptibility in Salmonella from poultry sources of Bangladesh. Salmonella isolated from poultry sources were thoroughly characterized by standard cultural and biochemical tests from which 5 were tested for susceptibility to 10 antibiotics following disk diffusion method. Out of total 60 samples 32 (53.33%) were found positive for Salmonella. Highest number of Salsmonella was isolated from egg surface washing (90%), followed by cloacal swab (80%), intestinal content (60%), hand wash of poultry handler (50%) and in fecal materials(40%) but no isolate was found on environment (air) samples. 100% of the tested Salmonella isolates from poultry sources were found to be resistant to Erythromycin, Tetracycline and Nalidaxic Acid and 80% strains showed resistance to Ciprofloxacin whereas, Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Sulphamethoxazole and Kanamycin showed 60% resistance. No isolate showed resistance to Gentamicin. Sensitivity was recorded in case of 40% strains to Chloramphenicol, Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Sulphamethoxazole, Kanamycin and 20% isolate against Ciprofloxacin. Both, resistance and susceptibility were exhibited against Chloramphenicol, Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Sulphamethoxazole, Kanamycin, and Ciprofloxacin. Further study is required on the role of poultry borne bacteria as vectors in transmitting drug resistance. Attention is to be paid for personnel hygiene in processing and handling of poultry and poultry products and excess use or abuse of antibiotics should be reduced or stopped by the judicious application of antibiotics for the safety of public health in Bangladesh.