MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATED FROM SHEEP AND GOATS

In this study, 170 samples were collected from sheep, goats and bedding (136, 27 and 7) respectively. Samples distributed as 134 fecal samples 34 (29 and 5) diarrheic sheep and goats respectively, 100 (82 and 18) apparently healthy sheep and goats respectively, 29 milk samples (25 sheep milk and 4 goat milk) and 7 samples from bedding (5 sheep and 2 goats) respectively. The samples were collected from different sheep and goat farms at Badr City in Al Beheira Governorate, Egypt. E. coli was isolated from sheep and goats with a percentage of 44% (62/141) and 31% (9/29) respectively. Out of the 62 E. coli isolates identified from sheep samples, 16 (25.8%) E. coli isolates from diarrheic samples, 29 (46.8%) isolated from apparently healthy sheep, 12 (19.4%) from milk samples and 5 (8%) was from bedding samples. Also, 9 E. coli isolates obtained from goats as 6 (66.7%) was from fecal samples of apparently healthy goats, 2 (22.2%) was from milk samples and 1 (11.1%) was from bedding samples. While, no E. coli isolates were obtained from diarrheic goats. The most prevalent E. coli serotypes belonged to 8 different "O" serogroups, O111:H2 (4 strains, 26.7%), O26:H11 (3 strains, 20 %), O55:H7, O125:H21 (2 strains each, 13.3%), O103: H2, O121: H7, O124 and O86 (1strain each, 6.7%). The genotyping of the serotyped isolates proved that, O111:H2 and O26:H11 were positive for stx1, stx2, eaeA, and hlyA genes, O103: H2 and O55:H7 were positive for stx1, stx2 and hlyA genes, O125:H21 and O121: H7 carried both stx1 and stx2 genes, while O86 harbored only stx2 gene and O124 contain only eaeA gene. The resistance of 15 isolates was observed most frequently to Ampicillin (66.7%), Trimethoprim/ Sulphamethoxazole (73.3%), Cephotaxime (86.7%), Amikacin (60%), Gentamicin (66.7%), and Pencillin (60%). While high sensitivity was observed to Chloramphenicol, Doxycycline and Cephrodine (73.4%). Most of the obtained serotypes proved high distribution pattern of virulence genes and and multiple antimicrobial resistance which confirms potential health concern to humans.