Investigation on enterococcus infection in broiler chickens [electronic resource]

Includes bibliographic reference.

Enterococcus species (Enterococcus spp.) are considered one of the most common pathogens causing economic losses in poultry production. To isolate and identify Enterococcus spp, 110 broiler chickens (some diseased and others recently dead) were collected aged from 1 to 45 days, also 65 dead in shell chicken embryos were collected from different farms and Balady hatcheries in Assiut province. Four samples were taken from each bird from 110 broiler chickens (liver, spleen, heart), (intestines), (joints), (brain) and the samples from dead shell chickens embryos were cultured on Brain heart infusion broth then inoculated broth cultured on KF streptococcal agar and bile esculine agar. E. hirae was isolated from (liver, spleen and heart) at a rate of (66.2%), intestine (66.7%), joint (81.8%), brain (66.7%) and dead in shell chicken embryos (44.1%), E. durans was isolated from (liver, spleen and heart) with a percentage of (22%), intestine (14.3%), joint (18.2%), brain (33.3%) and was (41.2%) from dead in shell chicken embryos, E.faecalis was isolated at a rate of (11.8%) and (19%) from (liver, spleen, heart) and intestine respectively but the percentage of dead in shell chicken embryos was (14%) and did not isolate from joint or brain. we used E.hirae isolate in this experiment because it is the largest percentage of isolation. Four days-old broiler chicks were infected by I/V inoculation (wing vein), I/T inoculation, and contact chicks for each of them the mortality rates were 100%, 90% and 60% for I/V, I/T and in both contact chicks respectively. We found that E.hirae isolates were sensitive to neomycin, ampicillin, streptomycin, penicillin g, and amoxicillin and resist tetracycline, erythromycin and tylosin.
Key Words: Enterococci, E. hirae, E. durans, E. faecalis

Summary in Arabic