Isolation and characterization of Escherichia coli from bovine faeces

Bovine faeces samples were collected from Livestock Research Center, S.V.B.P.U.A. & T. Meerut and Siwaya Dairy Farm, Siwaya, Modipuram. Out of 40 samples, 20 each from cattle and buffaloes, presence of E. coliwas detected in 15 cattle and 16 buffalo samples. Identify of E. coli was confirmed by plating on MacConkey agar and EMB agar medium. All the 15 cattle and 16 buffalo samples produced lactose fermenting pink colored colonies. Similarly, all the isolates produced metallic sheen or greenish colonies on EMS agar medium. Certain biochemical tests were performed for further confirmation of E. coli strains. Antibiotic sensitivity test of all the 31 isolates were performed using Penicillin, Kanamycin, Tetracycline Streptomycin and Chloramphenicol. Sensitive response was observed with Kanamycin to almost all the isolates. To some isolates it gave intermediate response as well resistance response too. Tetracycline gave resistance response to most of the isolates. All the three types of response viz., Sensitive, resistance and intermediate were observed with streptomycin.