Aim: Isolation, characterization, in-vitro pathogenicity and antibiogram
study of E.coli from buffalo meat sold in Parbhani city.
Materials and
Methods: Meat samples were collected from buffalo immediately after
slaughter. Isolation, identification and enumeration of E. coli were done by
following standard methods and protocols. Hemolysin test and Congo red binding
assay were used to study in-vitro pathogenicity of E. coli isolates. Disc
diffusion method was used to study antibiogram of pathogenic E. coli isolates.
Results: A total of 250 buffalo meat samples were collected and
processed. A total of 22 (8.80 percent) E. coli isolates were isolated with
average differential count of 1.231 ± 0.136 log10 cfu/g on EMB agar. All the E.
coli isolates were confirmed by Grams staining, biochemical reactions and sugar
fermentation and motility tests. A total of 9 (3.6 percent) E. coli isolates
were found to be pathogenic by in-vitro pathogenicity testing. Antibiogram
studies of pathogenic E. coli isolates showed that all 9 isolates were sensitive
to gentamycin (20 ± 1.49 mm) while 7 isolate showed resistance to enrofloxacin
(18.22 ± 3.58 mm) and tetracycline (11.44 ± 2.04 mm).
Conclusion: Buffalo
meat sold in Parbhani city is an important source of E. coli infection to human
population. A total of 9 pathogenic E. coli were isolated from buffalo meat
immediately after slaughter. All isolates were characterized and confirmed
pathogenic by in-vitro pathogenicity tests. Antibiogram studies of all isolates
revealed sensitivity to gentamicin and resistance to tetracycline and
enrofloxacin.
Keywords: antibiogram, buffalo meat, E. coli, pathogenicity
