Molecular and phylogenetic study of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC)‎ isolated from broilers in Al-Diwaniyah Province, Iraq

Abstract EN

The current work was performed to study the infections induced by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) in broiler farms in Al-Diwaniyah province, Iraq, using molecular and phylogenetic-based methods.

For these purposes, 200 omphalitis, air sacculitis, kidney, liver, and gastrointestinal (GIT)-based samples were collected using cloacal and oropharyngeal swThese samples were exposed to traditional microbiological processing methods including cultivation and biochemical methods.

Polymerase chain reaction-based identification was induced targeting the 16S rRNA gene.

The results showed the amplification of this gene in all samples.

The phylogenetic study detected 5 local isolates that were close in their identities to isolates from Egypt, Ecuador, and Nigeria.

The current study provides important information about the status of E.

coli infection in poultry in addition to the evolutional status of the local isolates of this microbe.