Isolation of serratia liquefaciens from breeding farms, and its prevalence in human being

ABSTRACT

Serratia liquefaciens, a member of the Klebsiellae, is an uncommon pathogen, It's related member, S. marcescens acquired an attention due to its prevalence among hospitalised patients. S. liquefaciens is now recognised to be one of the most important causes of animal septicaemia. It may cause epidemics in chickens, workers dealing with infected chickens were found to be highly colonised by this organism, of 138 workers investigated 25 [18.12%] were found to harbour the organism out of them 58 workers developed clinical disease and the organism was isolated from 16 patients [27.59%], the infection is an occupational hazard when compared to other patients not exposed to chicken. The difference is significant in exposed workers. In birds it was isolated from 84 samples from dead birds [76.36%], and from 41 samples from sick birds [45.56%]. Also isolated from outer Egg-shell from infected farms, out of 60 samples examined 15 samples were positive [25%]. The water supply were examined daily for 10 days, and the organism was isolated from 8 samples out of 30 samples examined [26.6%]The great danger in infection by this organism is its high resistance to many antibiotics, which may emerge from repeated unwise use of antibiotics as a prophylactic measure for chicken breeding. Ampicillin, gentamycin and tobramycin were ineffective, Amikacin and Nalidexic acid were poorly effective, but the organism was strongly sensitive to imipenem, ciprofloxacin and lincospectine