ESCHERICHIA-COLI IN MILK, MEAT AND MEAT-PRODUCTS - ISOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION, ANTIBIOGRAM AND ZOONOTIC SIGNIFICANCE

Seventy eight isolates of Escherichia cell isolated from a total of 35 0 samples, comprising milk, meat, and meat products, were found to be of 20 different serotypes. These isolates were grouped into various bi otypes, ranging from A to U on the basis of five biochemical tests. Th e isolates exhibited, alpha, beta and gamma- haemolytic activities. An tibiogram revealed that majority of the isolates were sensitive to gen tamicin, ampicillin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, bac itracin, kanamycin, but resistant to doxycycline, cloxacillin, carbeni cillin, penicillin-G and polymyxin-B.