MVSc

In the present investigation, 60 chicken carcasses, consisting of
20 each, collected from retail shops selling dressed birds which were brought
from outside the state (A), shops selling locally reared dressed birds (B) and
dressed chicken from the Kerala Agricultural University Poultry Farm (C). The
bacterial quality of each carcass was evaluated by estimating the total viable
count (TVC), coliforms count (CC), Escherichia coli count (ECC) and faecal
streptococcal count (FSC). All samples were also tested for the presence of
bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli, salmonellae, Staphylococcus
aureus and Listeria monocytogenes.
Analysis of variance test of the mean TVC revealed significant
(P<0.05) difference between the count of the samples from source Band C.
The overall mean TVC of the samples was 7.89 ± 0.07 10glO cfulml of the
carcass rinse. The samples from source B had the highest mean TVC (8.06 ±
0.11 log., cfulml) and lowest mean count was seen in the samples belonging to
the source C (7.69 ± 0.13 log., cfulml). The samples from source A had a
mean TVC of7.94 ± 0.08 log., cfulml. The count at the level of 109 cfulml was
observed in one of the samples belonging to the source B. The count in three
(5%), 34 (56.67%) and 22 (36.67%) samples was at the level of 106, 107 and
108 cfulml, respectively.

Analysis of variance test showed significant (P<0.05) difference
between the mean CC of the samples from source A and C and Band C. The
overall mean CC of the carcass rinse was 4.97 ± 0.1 0 log., cfulml. The samples
from the source A had the highest mean count (5.30 ± 0.10 log}o cfulml) and
lowest in the samples from source C (4.37 ± 0.17 log., cfulml). The mean CC
of samples from source B was 5.23 ± 0.13 log}o cfulml. The count in l.67 per
cent and five per cent of the samples was at the level of 102 and 106 cfulml,
respectively. The count in 1l.67, 3l.67 and 50 per cent samples was at the
level of 103, 104 and 105 cfulml, respectively.
Analysis of variance test revealed significant (P<0.05) difference
between mean ECC of the samples belonging to the source A and C and Band
C. The overall mean ECC of samples from the three sources was 2.20 ± 0.27
log}o cfulml. The mean count of the samples belonging to the source A, Band
C was 2.83 ± 0.48, 2.66 ± 0.46, 1.08 ± 0.35 10glO cfulml, respectively. The
count in five, 20 and 26.67 per cent of the carcasses was at the level of 102, 103
and 104 cfulml, respectively.
Analysis of variance test revealed highly significant (P difference between FSC of samples from source A and B, A and C and B and
C. The overall mean FSC of the samples was 4.32 ± 0.09 log., cfulml. The
highest mean count was observed in samples from source A (4.99 ± 0.10 log.,
cfulml) and the lowest mean count in samples from source C (3.75 ± 0.l0 10glO
cfulml). The mean FSC in samples from source B was 4.20 ± 0.10 10glO cfulml.

The count in 38.33, 46.67 and 15 per cent samples were at the level of 103, 104
and 105 cfu/ml, respectively.
Correlation coefficient test of the data revealed significant
(P<0.05) association between the mean CC and FSC. A positive and non-
significant correlation existed between mean TVC and CC, TVC and ECC,
TVC and FSC, CC and ECC and ECC and FSC.
Escherichia coli was isolated from 51.67% of the samples. The
44 E. coli isolated from the samples were serotyped and fell into 21 serotypes,
six rough strains and two .untypables. The serotypes consisted of 05,08, 014,
025,033,041,049,066,078,081,084,085,091,0116, 0121, 0131, 0132, 0146,
0150, 0157 and 0161. Salmonellae were isolated from two samples.
Staphylococci were isolated from 30% of the samples, but none of them were
coagulase positive. All samples were found free from Listeria monocytogenes.