Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of E.coli and Salmonella isolated from Poultry litter in District Umerkot, Sindh

The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. isolated from poultry litter in District Umerkot, Sindh, Pakistan. A total of 100 poultry litter samples were collected from four talukas, namely Umerkot, Pithoro, Samaro, and Kunri, with 25 samples obtained from each taluka. Standard bacteriological methods were employed for the isolation and identification of E. coli and Salmonella spp. The prevalence results revealed that E. coli was detected in 58% of the samples, while Salmonella spp. were isolated from 26% of the samples, indicating a higher level of E. coli contamination in the study area. Taluka-wise variation in bacterial prevalence was observed, reflecting differences in farm hygiene and management practices. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the agar disk diffusion method following Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The E. coli isolates exhibited high resistance to several commonly used antibiotics, including oxacillin, streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and sulfonamides. However, notable sensitivity was observed against amikacin, gentamycin, and erythromycin. Similarly, Salmonella isolates showed resistance to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, doxycycline, and sulfonamide antibiotics, while sensitivity was primarily observed to amoxicillin, gentamycin, and erythromycin. The presence of multidrug-resistant E. coli and Salmonella spp. in poultry litter highlights a potential risk to animal and public health. The findings emphasize the need for improved biosecurity measures, hygienic farm practices, and rational use of antimicrobials in poultry production systems to minimize the spread of resistant pathogens.