Isolation and Identification of pathogenic E. coli Serotype O157:H7 from the common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) in Qurna city

The study was conducted to isolation and identification of pathogenic E coli from the common sandpiper (actitis hypoleucos) birds from north of Basra province (Qurna city), and determine antibiotic susceptibility of Escherichia coli isolates from dropping samples of such birds. Through bacterial media, serological and chemical tests show that eight bacterial isolates were positive (6.6%) as E. coli O157 H7 from 120 dropping samples and 80 bacterial isolates (66.6%) were belong to other pathogenic E. coli serotypes while the rest of the samples (32) were belong to non pathogenic E. coli serotypes. Isolation and identification of E. coli were done by using enrichment media, selective media, and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing by the disc diffusion method was conducted for Ampicillin, gentamicin, erythromycin, tetracycline, cephotaxime, cephalothin, and ciprofloxacin. In general, E. coli isolates from drooping samples showed resistance to the most of mentioned antibiotics in different rates.