OCCURRENCE OF BACTERIAL CONTAMINANTS IN POULTRY MEALS AND THEIR ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE PATTERN

Abstract

By products and wastes of livestock and poultry processing units are used to make different meals for poultry feed as a source of good quality protein. Microbiological quality of poultry meals and antibiotic resistance pattern of isolates against commonly used poultry antibiotics was determined. Meal samples (n=40) from four feed processing plants (n=10, each) were processed for aerobic plate, total coliform and total yeast/mold count and Salmonella detection by standard microbiological techniques. Bacterial isolates were identified by morphology and biochemical testing. Antibiotic resistance pattern of isolates against 24 commonly used antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion method. Higher aerobic counts (107- 1013 CFU/g) were observed in all poultry meals. Coliforms (102-105 CFU/g) and total yeast/mold counts (104-106 CFU/g) were detected in 25 and 27.5 percent meals, respectively. Bacterial isolates (n=134) including Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeroguinosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli were identified. Higher antibiotic resistance was observed in B. subtilis and S. aurues. It was concluded that poultry meals were contaminated by resistant bacteria and may be source of antibiotic resistance transfer to commensal bacteria of poultry.