Isolation, Identification and Antibiotic Sensitivity of Escherichia species Isolated from Animals

Abstract

One hundred and forty seven isolates were recovered from 206 intestinal samples from healthy camels, cattle, sheep, goats and poultry. The total number of Escherichia coli isolated was 135 (35 from poultry, 31 from goats, 16 from cattle, 20 from camels and 36 from sheep). Escherichia vulneris was isolated once from a goat. The total number of E. hermanii isolated was 9 (three from sheep, two from goats, two from cattle and two from camels). Escherichia adecaroxylata was isolated twice, once from a camel and once from a chicken. Antibiotic sensitivity was conducted to some Escherichia spp. isolated against eight antimicrobial agents. Antibiotic susceptibility was observed namely to cotrimexazole, nalidixic acid nitrofurantion, ampicillin, tetracycline, gentamycin, colistin sulphate and streptomycin. All the isolates were sensitive to cotrimexazole, nalidixic acid nitrofurantion, gentamycin, streptomycin, tetracycline and colstin sulphate except in sheep (they were resistant to ampicillin). Escherichia spp. in camels (E. coli, E. hermannii and E. adecarboxylata) were highly susceptible to nitrofurantion, nalidixic acid, cotrimexazole, ampicillin and gentamycin, and showed intermediate susceptibility to colistin sulphate, but were resistant to tetracycline and streptomycin. The high incidence of resistance to streptomycin and tetracycline reflects the hazardous of these antibiotics in treatment of camel diseases for long periods in the Sudan.