Poultry fecal Escherichia coli contaminate soil, water, and vegetables in Gazipur, Bangladesh: Potential implications for the environment and public health

Globally poultry production is increasing to fulfill the protein requirements for human consumption. Poultry waste from farms might contaminate adjacent environments and agricultural products grown in lands that used poultry manure as a soil organic fertilizer. In order to determine the spread of poultry waste bacteria to adjacent water bodies, soils, and agricultural products, Escherichia coli (E. coli) were isolated from poultry fecal wastes as well as from nearby water bodies, soils, and agricultural products grown in lands that used poultry wastes. E. coli of poultry manure and poultry environment (soils, water, and vegetables) were isolated and confirmed by culturing and amplification of malK gene of E. coli by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Contamination of the nearby environment by poultry waste E. coli was also determined by VT1 (stx1) gene of E. coli. Subsequently, gene sequencing of the positive isolates of E. coli and phylogenetic trees was developed to find out evolutionary dynamics of the poultry environment E. coli. The overall prevalence of E. coli in the poultry environment was 61.02%. E. coli were detected in the manure of all broiler, layer, and Sonali types of poultry farms. E. coli also detected in both chicks and adult layer farms during all the seasons by malK gene. The VT1 (stx1) gene of E. coli was not detected in any of the samples. Contamination by poultry fecal E. coli to adjacent water bodies, soils, and vegetables grown on soils that used poultry waste as manure were also found. Phylogenetic tree denotes there were genetic similarities of poultry manure E. coli of Gazipur, Bangladesh to global isolates of E. coli from livestock, their environment, and humans. These findings will be crucial to undertake measures to limit spread of poultry manure E. coli to the surrounding environment as well as controlling zoonoses.