Identification and Characterization of Enteric Bacteria in Wild Bird Species

My focus for this project was faecal microbiota of migratory and local birds. Scientific study of microbiota of migratory and local birds will require identification of bird faecal and then identification of their faecal microbiota. Looking at the complexity of faecal identification, this project could be a big project. To make sure that at least we can make a pilot project, I employed my bird identification knowledge and observation skill for the project and we used an observation based method to identify the faecal samples. Further we employed 16s rRNA analysis of cultured bacterial strains. The project could yield identification of pathogenic bacteria that can be of potential threat to human health.

Species of Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae families have pathogenic virulence. E. coli O157 is a pathogenic strain of E. coli representing Enterobacteriaceae. E. coli O157 was observed in nine species viz. Brown-headed Gull, Comb Duck, Common Coot, Common Teal, Eurasian Collared Dove, Heuglin’s Gull, Northern Shoveler, Rock Pigeon and Ruddy Shelduck. Pseudomonadaceae, Staphylococcaceae and Moraxellaceae also have pathogenic bacteria. One species of Vibrionaceae, Vibrio cholera is known pathogenic species worldwide. We found other species of Vibrio but not Vibrio cholera. Enterococcus faecalis was observed in Black-headed Ibis. Known disease causing agents like Pseudomonas and Shigella sp. etc. were also observed.