Archives

Page No. : 99-104

ABSTRACT

The present investigation was carried out with a view to study the virulence characteristics as well as antibiotic sensitivity and resistance pattern of STEC isolates from cattle and pig. A total of 74 fecal samples of cattle were collected from Instructional livestock farm, Khanapara and unorganized farm, in case of pig a total of 89 fecal samples was collected from AICRP on pig Khanapara and NRC on pig Rani (Assam). The prevalence of STEC in cattle was recorded as 16.21% (12 out of 74) in which nine isolates were positive for both stx1 and stx2 genes, two were positive for stx1 gene and 1 was positive for stx2gene, whereas none of the isolates were found positive for eae A and hly A gene. In pig, the prevalence of STEC was recorded to be 6.74% (6 out of 89) in which all the isolates were found positive only for stx1gene, whereas none of the isolates were found to carry stx2, eae A and hly A gene. The antibiogram of the STEC isolates of cattle showed highest sensitivity to ciprofloxacin (100%), followed by norfloxacin (91.67%), chloramphenicol (83.33%), nalidixic acid (83.33%), co-trimoxazole (75.0%) and the resistance was observed for amikacin, cloxacillin, ampicillin and furazolidone. The antibiogram of the STEC isolates of pig showed highest sensitivity to ciprofloxacin (100%) and norfloxacin (100%), followed bychloramphenicol (83.33%), cephotaxime (83.33%) and the resistance was seen for amikacin, ampicillin, cloxacillin and furazolidone.

Keywords: E. coli, resistance, STEC, virulence