EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN STRAINS OF E. COLI ISOLATED FROM BROILER CARCASSES

Chicken products may be a source of infection with ExPEC strains and may present a zoonotic risk through multiple antibiotic resistances. The emergence of multiple antibiotic resistances (resistance to three or more classes of antimicrobial agents) among E. coli strains isolated from birds has created major economic and human health problems. A total of 30 strains of E. coli have been isolated and identified from fresh chicken carcasses harvested at different time intervals over a period of 12 months from different manufacturers. Strains identified as E. coli were tested on 12 antimicrobial substances and showed multiple resistances. The highest resistance was recorded at erythromycin and doxycycline (96.6%), and the smallest resistance was recorded at gentamicin 10%. Extraintestinal E. coli strains with multiple antibiotic resistances are the main cause of infections in humans and birds.