الفهرس 
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Abstract
The role of poultry and their products as zoonotic reservoir for transmitting enteropathogenic E.coli to humans was studied.
The present study comprised of 350 different samples including, 150 poultry cloacal swabs represented by broilers (80), layers (45) and ducks (25). In addition, a total of 100 samples of chicken products including; chicken fillet, chicken burger, chicken luncheon and chicken nuggets (25 each) retailed for sale in different supermarkets at Alexandria province were randomly collected. Finally, a total of 100 stool specimens were collected from humans including 47 from diarrheic patients and 53 from apparently healthy individuals with different age groups as well as various occupations.
The collected samples were subjected to bacteriological examination for isolation and identification of diarrheagenic E. coli. In addition, molecular approach using PCR assay was carried out for simultaneous detection of four virulence markers in the recovered isolates. Moreover, antibiogram pattern of some represented isolates to different antibiotics was performed.
The recorded results in the current work clarified that the overall rate of isolation of E. coli from different sources was 23.7 %. Statistical analysis showed significant association at P< 0.05 between the rates of isolation from poultry, poultry products and human samples under investigation where the highest rate was observed in the examined samples of poultry (42.7%), followed by human stools (19%) and lastly poultry products (11%).
Concerning poultry, it was found that the rate of isolation of E. coli from the examined samples of ducks scored the highest rate (60%) followed by broilers (40%) and lastly layers (37.8%) with significant statistical association between the rates of isolation from different poultry species.
The effect of health status on the rates of isolation of E. coli from the examined samples of poultry was studied. In case of broilers, it was recorded that freshly dead birds showed the highest rate of isolation (70%) followed by apparently healthy showed the highest rate of isolation (70%) followed by apparently healthy dead birds showed the highest rate of isolation (45.5%) followed by diseased birds (40%) then apparently healthy (28.6%). Also, in case of ducks, freshly dead birds showed the highest rate of isolation (80%) followed by apparently healthy (57.1 %) then diseased birds (53.8%). Statistical analysis clarified significant association between health status of birds and the rate of isolation of E. coli. birds (30.4%) then diseased birds (29.7%). The same finding was noticed in case of layers where freshly serotypes including; O128:H2 (15 isolates, 23.4%), O78 (12 isolates, 18.8%), O111:H4 (9 isolates, 14.1%),
Serotyping of 64 E. coli isolates recovered from poultry samples was performed and cleared the presence of several O124 (6 isolates, 9.4%), O55:H7 (6 isolates, 9.4%), O142 (8 isolates, 12.5%), O2:H6 (4 isolates, 6.3%), O114 (2 isolates, 3.2%) and O1:H7 (2 isolates, 3.2%).
The rate of isolation of E. coli from poultry products showed that the highest rate was detected in the examined samples of Fillet (24%) followed by Burger (12%) then Luncheon (8%) while the examined samples of nuggets were found to be negative for presence of E. coli with significant statistical association between the rates of isolation and different poultry products.
Serotyping of 11 E. coli isolates recovered from poultry products was performed and cleared the presence of several serotypes including; O111:H4 (2 isolates), O91 (3 isolates), O26 (2 isolates), O128:H2 (2 isolates) and O157:H7 (2 isolates).
Concerning human, it was found that the rate of isolation of E. coli was 19% and sex wise positivity showed that the rate of isolation was higher in males (19.4%) than in females (18.2%) with non-significant statistical association between the rate of isolation and gender of individuals under investigation.
The effect of age groups of human on the rate of isolation of E. coli clarified that the highest rate was recorded in the age group 50 – 65 years (30.8%) followed by the age group 35 - < 50 years (18.8%) and finally, the age group 20 - < 35 years (16.4%). It was noticed that the rate of isolation increased with increasing age although statistical analysis clarified non-significant association between the rate of isolation and age groups of the investigated individuals.
The effect of health status of human on the rate of isolation of E. coli clarified that the highest rate was recorded in the group of diarrheic patients (25.5%) compared to the group of apparently healthy individuals (13.2%). Statistical analysis clarified significant association between the rate of isolation and health status of the investigated individuals.
The effect of occupation of individuals under investigation on the rate of isolation of E. coli clarified that the highest rate was recorded in the examined samples of food handlers (30.4%) followed by farm workers (21.4%) then farmers (16.7%) and finally house wives (8%). Statistical analysis clarified significant association between the rate of isolation and occupation of the investigated individuals.
Rate of isolation of E. coli from human in relation to poultry contact was recorded and statistical analysis gave non-significant association between the type of contact with poultry or their products and the rate of isolation although numerical values showed that individuals who informed that there was a contact with poultry had higher rate (19.3%) compared to those with no direct contact with poultry or their products (17.6%).
Serotyping of 19 E. coli isolates recovered from human samples was performed and cleared the presence of several serotypes including; O26:H11 (6 isolates, 31.6%), O103:H2 (2 isolates, 10.5%), O111:H8 (4 isolates, 21.1%), O145: H28 (2 isolates, 15.5%) and O128:H2 (5 isolates, 26.3%).
Antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli strains (n=50) isolated from different examined sources to ten antimicrobial agents was performed. It was found 94 % of tested isolates were sensitive to Amikacin, 34% were sensitive to Ampicillin, 78% were sensitive to Cefotaxim, 92% were sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, 96% were sensitive to Doxycycline, 62% were sensitive to Erythromycin, 92% were sensitive to Kanamycin, 10% were sensitive to Penicillin G, 82% were sensitive to Sulphamethoxazol and 80% were sensitive to Tetracycline.