ABSTRACT

This study evaluates the identification and isolation of Escherichia coli and Salmonella from poultry feeds. The isolation and identification of salmonella and Escherichia coli is driven towards the extent to which the enteric organism Escherichia coli that is part of the normal flora and incidentally causes disease when some strains known as Avian Pathogenic E. coli (APEC) are able to establish themselves outside of the intestines and cause respiratory and systemic disease in poultry and species of Salmonella such as S. pullorum and S. gallinarium which commonly cause Pullorum disease and fowl typhoid in poultry when they ingest contaminated poultry feed. Poultry feeds; Starter, Finisher, Grower and Layer were sourced from different markets selling the afore mentioned feed from poultry feed companies; Top, Vital, Crown, Hendrix, Hybrid. All the feed samples were transported to Microbiology laboratory, Michael Okpara University, Umudike. They were cultured on Mc Conkey and Salmonella agar for 24hrs at 370C. Then, sub cultured to obtain a pure culture. Colony morphology, Gram staining and biochemical tests were used in the identification of the isolated test organisms, Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Salmonella was more prevalent in the samples as it was isolated from 13 samples with a percentage of 65% while, Escherichia coli was isolated from 7 samples with a percentage of 35%. The total coliform counts ranged from 0.31 x105 to 1.44 x105 cfu/g. From this study, it is necessary that proper precautionary measures should be taken during the production of poultry feed right from harvesting of feed raw materials to marketing of bagged feeds.