Isolation and Identification of Salmonella species from Chickens in Khartoum State

This study was carried out to determine the incidence of Salmonellosis in poultry in Khartoum state. A total of 102 samples (27 intestine, 26 ovaries, 25 livers and 24 hearts) were collected from diseased birds showing signs of weakness, loss of appetite, poor growth and adherence of white chalky material atthe vent region. A total of 60 blood samples were also collected for serology. Three Salmonellaisolates were recovered and identified. Two of them were S. enteritidis (isolated from intestine) and the third strain wasS. arizonae(isolated from liver). Other bacteria were also isolated and included 8 (7.8%) E. coli, 17 (16.6%) Klebsiella spp., 21 ( 20.5%) Proteus spp., 24 ( 23.5%) Pseudomonus spp., 12 (11.7%) Yersiniaspp. and 2 (2%) Shigella spp. Collected sera from blood samples were tested against commercial stained antigen of Salmonella pullorum (Intervet company, Holland) using the rapid serum agglutination test (RSA). No antibodies were detected in all examined sera. Sensitivity test of Salmonellaand other bacterial isolates against different antibiotics was carried out using the standard disc method. Salmonellaisolates were found sensitive to ampicillin, kanamycin, gentamycin, ciprofloxacin and chloromphenicol, and resistant to erythromycin, while moderatlysensitive to doxicycline. S.arizonaewas moderately sensitive to nitrofurantoin while S. enteritidiswas sensitive. Other bacterial isolates weresensitive to gentamycin and ciprofloxacin and resistance to doxicycline. The isolates showed varying degree of sensitivity to Kanamycin,erythromycin, nitrofurantoin ampicillin and choromphenicol