Introduction: Globally prevalent avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes severe systemic disease, colibacillosis, resulting in multimillion-dollar losses in the poultry. Currently, there is a paucity of information regarding the multidrug resistance of APEC isolates.
Aim of Study: In this study, we examined the occurrence rate, serotype variety, and antibiotic resistance patterns of APEC isolates associated with poultry colibacillosis. Methods: Post-mortem examinations were performed on 230 colibacillosis-infected chickens from April 1st to September 30, 2025. Chi square tests were used to assess associations, with a p-value < 0.05 considered Significant.
Results: This study expressed 73% prevalence rate of colibacilossis, where 078 strain was considered the most prevalent strain. The AMR profile showed high resistance to augmentin (100%), colistin (100%), and cefoxitin (93.33%), followed by cefepime (68.89%) and polymyxin B (51.11%). All APEC isolates harboured beta-lactamase genes (blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaCMY) (100%), whereas mphA, catA1, and qnrA were detected
in 60%, 44.44%, and 4.44% of the isolates, respectively. A Chi-square test of independence identified a significant disparity in E. coli prevalence across various sample sources (χ² = 34.81, df = 8, p < 0.001), highlighting a strong association between E. coli distribution and organ type.
Conclusions: The high prevalence rate of colibacilossis in poultry are the alarming condition for poultry sector in Pakistan that needs proper treatment, management, safety precautions, and long term preventions to control the colibacilossis. This study identifies the potential risk of emerging antibiotic resistance in APEC which is a critical and alarming condition for human health
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