Dept. of Poultry Diseases,

Animal Health Research Institute,

Sohag Regional Laboratory.

ROLE OF SOME WILD BIRDS IN TRANSMITTING SOME BACTERIAL AGENTS AMONG POULTRY FARMS IN SOHAG GOVERNORATE
(With 3 Tables)

By

Kh.A.A. Hedawy and M.M.A. El-Shorbagy*

* Dept. of Microbiology, Animal Health Research Institute, Dokki, Giza

(Received at 14/12/2006)

دور بعض الطيور البرية في نقل بعض الأمراض البکتيرية بين مزارع الدواجن في محافظة سوهاج

خالد عبد اللطيف عزيز الدين حديوى ، ممدوح محمود عبد العظيم الشوربجي

تم تجميع عدد 75 من الطيور البرية المختلفة (20 عصفور، 15 أبو قردان، 20 غراب و20 من اليمام) من عدة أماکن في محافظة سوهاج. أسفر الفحص البکتريولوجي والذى شمل ًمسحات من فتحة المجمع والأحشاء الداخلية (القلب، الکبد، الرئتين والأمعاء) عن عزل 41 معزولة بکتيرية بيانها على النحو التالى: 15 معزولة من العصافير (5 معزولات من السالمونيلا تيفيميوريم، 5 معزولات من الميکروب القولوني، 4 معزولات من المکور العنقودى الذهبى ومعزولة واحدة من البروتيس). 12 معزولة من أبو قردان (3 معزولات من السالمونيلا تيفيميوريم، 4 معزولات من الميکروب القولوني، 2 معزولة من المکور العنقودى الذهبى و3 معزولات من السيدوموناس أيروجينوزا). 8 معزولات من الغربان   (2 معزولة من السالمونيلا تيفيميوريم، 3 معزولات من الميکروب القولوني و معزولة واحدة من المکور العنقودى الذهبى و2 معزولة من البروتيس) وتم عزل 6 معزولات من اليمام
(2 معزولة لکل من السالمونيلا تيفيميوريم، الميکروب القولوني وکذلک البروتيس). اجراء اختبار العدوى الصناعية لمعزولات مختارة من السالمونيلا، الميکروب القولوني وکذلک البروتيس في الکتاکيت عمر ثلاثة ايام عن طريق الفم اثبت ضراوة المعزولات وقد وصلت نسبة النفوق إلى 80%، 70%، 40%. إجراء اختبار الحساسية للعترات المعزولة معمليا افاد أنها جميعاً عالية الحساسية لکل من الأنروفلوکساسين، الفليموکين والجنتاميسين وکذلک الکلورامفينکول. هذا وقد تأکد من نتائج الدراسة الدور الذى قد تلعبه بعض الطيور البرية في نقل وانتشار الأمراض البکتيرية بين مزارع الدواجن في محافظة سوهاج.

SUMMARY

A total of 75 different free living birds (20 sparrow, 15 ibis, 20 Jackdaw and 20 of doves) were collected by trapping from different locations in Sohag Governorate. The bacteriological examination of cloacal, heart, liver, lung and intestinal samples revealed positive isolation of 41 isolates including 15 isolates from Sparrow (S.typhimurium (5), E. coli (5), Staph. aureus (4) and 1 isolate of proteus spp), 12 from Ibis (S. typhimurium (3), E. coli (4), Staph. Aureus (2) and pseudomonas aeruginosa spp (3), 8 from Jackdaw (S. typhimurium (2), E.coli (3), Staph. Aureus (1) and protues spp (2)) and 6 from Doves
(2 isolates of each of S. typhimurium, E.coli and protues spp). The pathogenicity test in three- day old chicks using Salmonella typhimurium, E. coli, and proteus spp resulted in 80%, 70% and 40% mortalities respectively.In - vitro antibiotics sensitivity test showed that the isolates were highly sensitive to enrofloxacin, flumequine, gentamycin and chloramphenicol. The present study indicated the possibility of wild birds to play an important role in transmitting of bacterial infection among poultry farms.

Key words: Wiled birds, bacterial agents, poultry farms.

INTRODUCTION

There is no doubt that the free living wild birds are considered as a potential source of introduction of many diseases to domestic birds. Shahata et al., (1990) could isolate Salmonella spp from several varieties of free living birds. Free living birds may act as introductory hosts for several kinds of bacteria, viruses and parasites to poultry population Kaleta, (2001).

Nowadays, infectious pathogens in wild life have become increasingly important throughout the world, as they have substantial impacts on human health and agricultural production Bengis et al., (2004). Different bacterial pathogenes were transmitted through wild birds as the Salmonella spp that described by Pennycott et al., (1998) and Reche et al., (2003). On the other hand, some wild birds especially ibis play a major role in the process of natural selection and in controlling the numbers of agriculture and domestic life enemies such as rodents, reptiles, amphibians, molluscs and arthropods for this it is called farmer’s friend, but unfortunately several bacterial agents as E. coli, Salmonella, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pasteurella hemoltica were isolated from ibis Soad and wafaa, (2003). Also, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella spp, Salmonella spp, Pasteurella spp, Staph aureus, Streptococcus faecalis, Bordetella spp and Proteus spp were recovered from hoope, crow, ibis, sparrow, doves, quails and bat with variable rates Effat and Moursi, (2005).

The present investigation was carried out to study the prevalence and recovery of bacterial agents among some wild birds and the possibility of their transmission to other domesticated birds in Sohag Governorate.

MATERIALS and METHODS

1- Samples:

            Seventy five of wild birds (20 of sparrow, 15 of ibis. 20 of jackdaw and 20 of doves) were randomly captured from different locations in Sohag Governorate. The specimens were subjected to post-mortem and bacteriological examination.

2- Bacteriological examination:

            The samples were obtained aseptically from all internal organs including liver, heart, lungs and intestine as well as cloacal swabs. All samples were inoculated into selenite F. broth as well as nutrient broth and incubated for 18 hours at 37°C for selenite F.broth and 24 hours at 37°C for nutrient broth, followed by plating onto blood agar, nutrient agar, Eosin-methylene blue agar and MacConkey agar plates and incubated for 24-48 hours at 37°C. Suspected colonies from the different media were picked up and subjected for cellular and colonial morphology and serological tests according to Quinn et al., (2002)

3- In vitro- antibiotic sensitivity test:

In vitro antimicrobial susceptability testing for the isolated bacteria was carried out by the plate technique described by Finegold and Martin, (1986). Antibiotic sensitivity discs including Enrofloxacin (10 / μg), Tetracyclin (30 μg), Colistin sulfate (10 μg), Flumequin (30) μg), Ampicillin (10 μg) Gentamycin (10 μg), Naladixic acid (30 μg), Streptomycin (10 μg), Chloramphenicol (10 μg) and Erythromycin (15 μg) were used.

4- Experimental infection:

Fifty 3- day old chicks were obtained from El-Akthar farm, Sohag Governorate were used to study the pathogenicity of some isolated bacteria. Before infect, a random sample which included 10 birds were sacrificed for p/m, and bacteriological examination to prove that these birds were healthy and bacteria free. Other birds were divided into 4 groups, each group of 10 chicks. The first 3 groups (group 1, group 2 and group 3) were infected orally with S. typhimurium, E. coli and proteus spp respectively. Another group was left as uninfected control. All birds were kept under observation. Symptoms and post-mortem findings were recorded. Trials for reisolation of the inoculated agents were conducted.

RESULTS

The clinical signs observed in the trapped birds were sever weakness and whitish diarrhea, while the post-mortem lesions revealed the presence of pictures of septicemia, pericarditis, perihepatitis, airsacculitis and pneumonia.

The relative incidence of the recovered bacterial isolated is shown in Table (1). We could recover 41 bacterial isolates as follows, 15 isolates (75%) from sparrow (Salmonella typhimurium 5(25%), E. coli  5(25%), Staph. aureus 4(20%) and Proteus spp 1(5%). 12 isolates (80%) from ibis( Salmonella typhimurium 3(20%), E. coli 4(26.7%), Staph aureus 2(13.3%) and pseudomonas aeruginosa 3(20%). 8 isolates (40%) from Jackdaw (Salmonella typhimurium 2(10%), E. coli 3(15%), Staph. aureus 1(5%) and Proteus spp 2(10%). And 6 isolates (30%) from doves (Salmonella typhimurium 2(10%), E. coli 2(10%) and Proteus spp  2(10%).

The results of antibiograming on different bacterial isolates are shown in Table (2). Enrofloxacin, flumequin, gentamycin and chloramphenicol were the most effective drugs.

Table (3) illustrates the results of experimental infection. Experimentally infected all chicks in groups 1, 2 and 3 showed clinical signs in the form of depression, weakness, ruffled feathers and diarrhea. The mortality rate varied from 40 – 80 % according to the inoculated microorganisms. The control group remained apparently healthy through the experimentally period. Reisolation of the inoculated organism from the internal organs of experimentally infected chicks were positive.

Table 1: Incidence of bacterial isolates from different wild birds.

Table 2: Shows the results of in-vitro antibiotic sensitivity test.

Table 3: Results of experimental oral infection of three day old chicks with different bacterial isolates.

DISCUSSION

Various species of wild birds, because of their propensity to nest and roost near human activity, may harbor and disseminate various species of bacterial microorganisms to human, domestic birds and animals.

The results of post-mortem examination of trapped wild birds revealed the presence of pictures of septicemia, pericarditis, perihepatitis, airsacculitis and pneumonia. Similar findings were reported by Coe, (2002) and Effat and Moursi, (2005).

Bacteriological examination of 75 (20 sparrows, 15 ibis, 20 jackdaw and 20 doves) showed that S. typhimurium 5(25%), E. coli 5(25%), Staph. aureus 4(20%) and Proteus species 1(5%) were recovered from Sparrows while 12 isolates (S. typhimurium 3(20%),     E. coli 4(26.7%), Staph. aureus 2(13.3%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 3(20%) were recorded from ibis. Regarding to Jackdaw and doves, our results showed that 8 isolates (S. typhimurium 2(10%), E. coli 3(15%), Satph. aureus 1(5%) and proteus species 2(10%) were recovered from Jackdaw and 6 isolates (S. typhimurium 2(10%), E. coli 2(10%) and proteus spp 2(10%)were recovered from doves. These results were to some extent similar to those recorded by Shahata et al., (1990) who isolated S. typhimurium from sparrows with an incidence of 1.53% and Soad and Wafaa, (2003) who isolated E-coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Pasteurella hemolytica from ibis, while Refsum et al., (2003) and Effat and Moursi, (2005) who could isolate Salmonella, E-Coli, Proteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, klebsiella spp and Staph. aureus from different species of wild birds.

Concerning the in-vitro susceptibility of the isolates to antibacterial agents. Enrofloxacin, flumequine, gentamycin and chloramphenciol were the most effective drugs. Similar results were reported by Shahata et al., (1990) and Effat and Moursi, (2005). They showed that E-coli, Salmonella and proteus were highly sensitive to chloramphenciol, flumequine and enrofloxacin.

The results of pathogenicity of the isolated bacteria from wild birds to three-day old chicks indicated that all the inoculated organisms were pathogenic, and these bacteria may be transmitted to poultry farms through wild birds. Our results revealed that the mortality rate was variable according to the inoculated microorganisms and were 80%, 70% and 40% for S.typhimurium, E. coli and Proteus spp, respectively. No deaths were recorded in control group. Somewhat similar findings were reported by Simth and Tucker, (1980) who found that                    S. typhimurium killed 79% of one-day old chicks, and Effat and Moursi,    (2005) who reported that E. coli and Salmonella spp killed 100% and 80% of one day old chicks  respectively.

Our results concluded that. the wild birds may cause a problems among poultry farms not only by causing messes with their dropping and nests but also can consume a large amount of feed as well as transmitting of some bacterial diseases.

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