Gross pathology and bacteriological study of the yolk sac infections (omphalitis) in broiler chicks, North East Tunisia

• Main Authors: Khaled KABOUDI, Aymen MAMLOUK, Rafika BEN ROMDHANE, Monia KHAYECH, Moncef BOUZOUAIA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II 2021-09-01
• Series: Revue Marocaine des Sciences Agronomiques et Vétérinaires
• Online Access: https://agrimaroc.org/index.php/Actes_IAVH2/article/view/1012
• ISSN: 2028-991X; 2550-4401

The present study was carried out for three objectives: firstly, to investigate the prevalence of the yolk sac infections in broilers in the northeast of Tunisia. The second goal was to know the main germs responsible for this problem. Finally, we aimed to study the sensitivity of isolated bacteria to the main antibiotics used in the field. A total of 170 chicks (3 to 8 days) were necropsied. Suspected yolk sacs were collected using sterile swabs and sent to the laboratory for bacteriological analysis and antibiogram. Overall prevalence of 55.3% (94 chicks) was assessed. Statistically significant difference was noted among the different age groups, with highly prevalence observed in 5 days old animals (76%). Bacteriological analysis revealed that 71.3% (67 chicks) showed single bacterial infection. E. coli was the most important isolated bacteria (74.5%), followed by Klebsiella spp. (31.9%), Salmonella spp. (10.6%), Proteus spp. (9.6%) and Staphylococcus aureus (2.1%). A high correlation was noted between the chick mortality and infection by E. coli, Klebsiella and Proteus. Tested bacteria isolates (109 isolates) to twelve antibiotic agents showed high sensitivity to streptomycin, colistin, amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic-acid. A higher resistance was noted to enrofloxacin. Multidrug resistant isolates were detected in 38 (34.9%) bacteria isolates. Keywords: Yolk sac infection, Bacteriology, Multidrug resistance, Broiler, Tunisia