Bacterial species of family Enterobacteriacae could infect various body systems of broiler chicken. When reach the respiratory system they result in severe consequences. Out of 100 broiler farms manifested respiratory sings, avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and Salmonella (S.) spp. were isolated from 57 (57%) and 12 (12%) respectively, while mixed infection was noted in 4%. Serotyping of Salmonella spp. revealed the presence of eight serotypes in the investigated farms, S. Blegdam, S. Cremieu S. Newport and S. Virchow (2/12, 16.67% each); S. Enteritidis, S. Ferruch, S. Gueuletapee and S. Paratyphi A. (1/12, 8.33% each). The isolation of strict human serovar, S. Paratyphi is astonishing and a terror for human
health. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed the high prevalence of resistance against the commonly used antimicrobials in poultry industry including, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (82.46 and 66.67%), ciprofloxacin (77.19 and 75.00%), doxycycline (49.12 and 58.33%), cefotaxime (59.65 and 50.00%) and gentamicin (43.86 and 58.33%) for APEC and Salmonella spp. respectively. Multidrug resistance was reported in 75 and 96.49% in the recovered Salmonella serovars and E. coli respectively. Additionally, mixed infection increased the left behind treatment choices in some instance. Class 1 and 3 integrons were represented in both Salmonella spp. and APEC but integron class 1 prevailed integron class 3.
On the other hand, class 2 was detected only in Salmonella spp. and was the least one amongst them. Broiler chicken could be a source for not only bacterial species of zoonotic significance but also for integrons, the mobile genetic elements that capture resistance genetic cassettes and disseminate them intra and/or inter bacterial species. Subsequently,
antimicrobial resistance returns the humanity to the pre-antibiotic era.