Isolation and Characterization of E. coli from Day Old Chicks of a Selected Breeder Farm in Bangladesh There are breeders in 227 hatcheries in Bangladesh 1 Bacterial diseases caused highest mortality in chicken 2 Very few attempts were taken to study the E. coli of day old chick( DOC) 3,4 E. coli of DOC is important both for DOC and the parent stock. Objectives Study design: cross-sectional Duration: April 2008 to May 2009 Study site: laboratory of the Department of Microbiology and Hygiene, Bangladesh Agricultural University,Mymensingh Visceral sample collected aseptically from eighteen DOC of different groups were collected from a Breeder farm of Valuka, Mymensingh Tested the incubated sample for E.coli through competitive cultural examination and biochemical tests Total Viable Count (TVC) was done on nutrient agar following ten-fold dilution Lastly antibiotic sensitivity test was conducted to know their drug sensitivity and resistance pattern. 1. Anonym, Farm Poultry And Livestock Survey. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistics Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. 2. Uddin MZ, Samad MA, Kabir SML, Mortality and disease status in hy-line and isa-brown strains of layer chickens reared in cage system in Bangladesh. Bangl J Vet Med, 9, 1 – Islam A, Majumder S, Rahman A, Trisha AA, Amin R, Retrospective study of commercial poultry diseases. Eurasian J. Vet. Sci. 28, 2, Islam A, Trisha AA, Das M, Amin MR, Retrospective study of some poultry diseases at Guibandha district in Bangladesh. Bangl J Vet Med, 7, M.A. Rashid 1, 2, K.A. Chowdhury 1, S.M.S. Mahmud 1, T. Chowdhury 3, Abdulla Al Mamun Bhuyan 4, Zannat – Nahar 1, S.K.Paul 1,3* Background Results Conclusions and Recommendations References From the findings of different cultural, staining, biochemical examinations it may be concluded that the isolated organism was E. coli The load of E. coli was higher among the lower grade chicks and in gut The E. coli we isolated during this study showed resistance to certain antibiotics which tends to recommend the proper use of antibiotics In future more extensive studies can be conducted to design a successful control estrategias We were able to isolate E. coli was from gut, liver and lungs of DOC (Table 1). Total viable count (TVC) in gut of A grade chicks was 2.3×10 6, in B grade 2.6×10 6, in C grade 2.9×10 6, mean of which was 2.6×10 6 (Table 2). The TVC of liver in A grade chicks was 2.6×10 5, in B grade 2.7×10 5, in C grade 2.8×10 5, the mean of which was 2.6×10 5 (Table 2). in the lungs of A grade chicks was 2.2×10 4, in B grade 2.3×10 4 and in C grade was 2.5×10 4. The mean of which was 2.3×10 4 (Table 2). Antibiotic sensitivity test revealed that E. coli were sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin and Enrofloxacin, but resistant to Erythromycin and Cloxacillin. Methods To determine the E.coli in vital organs like liver, lungs and gut of healthy (A grade), weak (B grade), culled (C grade) chicks obtained immediately after hatching To determine the Total Viable Count of bacteria to show the difference in their density in different organs of the three grade of chicks To determine the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of isolates Acknowledgements I am grateful to Department of Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University,Mymensingh -2202, Bangladesh. Special thanks to Dr.Najmul haider,Dr.Ausraful islam and Dr. Sukanta (RI of icddr,b) for their valuable suggestion to preparing my poster. 1 Department of Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2 Department of Livestock Services, 3 International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh, 4 Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh A quality chicks (Grade-A) B quality chicks (Grade-B) C quality chicks (Grade- c) Correspondence: Batch No.GradeNo of chicksSample typeE.Coli present Batch 1 A2GutPresent B2GutPresent C2Gut Liver Lung Present Batch 2 A2GutPresent B2Gut Liver Present C2Gut Liver Lung Present Batch 3 A2GutPresent B2Gut Liver Present C2Gut Liver Lung Present Table 1. Bacteria isolated from different organs of 3 batches of DOC Table 2. Total viable count (TVC) obtained from gut of DOC Sample typeGradeTVC (CFU/ml)Mean ±SD Gut A2.3× ×10 6 B C2.9×10 6 Liver A2.6× ×10 5 B C2.8×10 5 Lung A2.2× ×10 4 B C2.5×10 4 TestResult Reaction with Dextrose Maltose Lactose Sucrose Mannitol All are + Indole+ MR+ VP- Table 3. Biochemical characteristics of E. coli + indicates Positive, MR = Methyl Red, - indicates Negative, VP= Voges-Proskauer E. coli growth on EMB agar media- Metallic shin E. coli growth on SS agar E.Coli growth on Blood agar Antibiotic sensitivity pattern Total viable count (TVC) of E. coli CIP AMOX ENRO