author(s)
M Saiful Islam, Suraiya Khanam and Moni Krishna Mohanta

abstract
Bacterial isolates from commercial poultry feeds and from eggs, ovaries and oviducts of the broiler hens (Gallus domesticus L.) were used for characterization, bacterial load estimation, antibiogram profile analyses and identification. The presence of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in the environment was indicated and bacterial loads in terms of total viable counts (TVCs) of the isolates were much higher in the reproductive organs than in the poultry feeds. Majority (33.33%) of the isolates was sensitive, 28.33% hypersensitive, 25.0% resistant and 13.33% intermediate against eight antibiotics. Three bacteria Bacillus cereus, Sphingobacterium daejeonens and Bacillus sp. were confirmed by 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Pathogenic bacterial contamination in the poultry feeds and reproductive organs of broiler chickens reinforces the need for proper hygiene in the processing of the poultry products for human consumption and a need for implementing measures that guard against the misuse of antimicrobial drugs in chicken feeds is therefore emphasized.