ABSTRACT

In this study, the incidence of Salmonella and Escherichia coliwas assessed. Fifty-six samples of poultry feed of starters, growers, layers, and finishers (from different manufacturers including Top feed, Vital feed, Supreme feed and Amobign feed) were purchased from several retail outlets and markets - Ahieke market, Okwuleghe and MOUAU poultry farm all in Umuahia metropolis, Abia State. The samples were processed aseptically using the serial dilution technique and appropriate dilutions inoculated onto nutrient agar, Salmonella-Shigella agar and MacConkey Agar). This result shows that out of the 56 feed samples screened, Escherichia coli and Salmonella yielded a combined number of 26 isolates with Escherichia coli having a value of 15 and Salmonella, 11. These values represent respectively 26.8% and 19.6% of the organisms in the samples.Sixteen (16) samples of Top feed contained 6 (37.5%) of Escherichia coli isolates and 5 (31.25%) of Salmonella sp.Sixteen (16) samples of Vital feed contained 2 (12.5%) of Escherichia coli isolates and 0 (0%) of Salmonella spp. Twelve (12) samples of Supreme feed screened contained 4 (33.3%) of Escherichia coli isolates and 2 (16.7%) of Salmonella sp. Twelve (12) samples of Amobign feed showed 3 (25%) of Escherichia coli isolates and 4 (33.3%) of Salmonella sp. The total viable bacterial count in this study was found to be high with the range of 7.1 to 3.5 × 106 cfu/g for Top feed, 9.0 to 2.7 × 106cfu/g  for Vital feed, 8.0 × 105 to 1.9 ×106 cfu/g for Supreme feed and 9.4 to 4.8 × 106cfu/g for Amobgin. The study further recommended that livestock feeds should come with different standards; modern methods of raw material storage and proper handling during processing help to boost the quality of the feed.