Pathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in Chicken Carcass Rinses: Isolation and Genotyping by ERIC-PCR

The present study aimed to determine the pathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. and to investigate their phylogenetic relation by Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR) in retail chicken samples. A total of 75 samples were processed for isolation of E. coli and Salmonella spp. by classical cultural methods and isolates were confirmed by the species-specific PCR. Salmonella spp. was detected in 21.3% and E. coli was detected in 74.6% of the chicken carcasses. S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium were not detected in chickens by duplex PCR-based assay. O157 based on serotyping and PCR, was not detected in any of the isolates. Besides, virulence and toxin genes were not detected in any of the E. coli isolates. According to ERIC patterns, the obtained ribotypes showed that all Salmonella spp. isolates presented large genetic diversity, whereas only two (3.5%) of E. coli isolates were genetically identical. Although virulent E. coli, and pathogenic serotypes of Salmonella spp. were not detected in our study, it is thought that their high incidence should be considered as an indicator of failure to comply with hygienic conditions and lack of sanitary practices especially in slaughterhouses.