KMAN Publication Inc. Journal of Poultry Sciences and Avian Diseases 2981-135X 4 Serial Number 14 2026 02 15 Detection and evaluation of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli strains in birds of prey from the Kerman Province, Iran Detection and evaluation of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli strains in birds of prey from the Kerman Province, Iran 1 8 10.61838/kman.jpsad.156 EN Journal Article <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> Raptors play an important role in the ecosystem as top predators. They can transmit diseases over long distances, affecting the environment, humans, and animals, in line with the one-health approach. Identifying their infectious agents helps to understand existing and emerging diseases. Escherichia coli infection, one of the most common bacterial diseases of poultry, causes significant economic losses, and its increasing antibiotic resistance highlights the need for drug susceptibility testing. In this study, the identification and investigation of antibiotic resistance of E. coli strains, especially E. coli O157, in 33 raptors that act as carriers of this pathogenic bacterium were investigated. For this purpose, 66 swab samples were collected: 33 from the choanal cleft and 33 from the cloaca. Through culture, biochemical testing, and PCR, 48 E. coli isolates, including 16 E. coli O157 isolates, were identified. Escherichia coli isolates were then evaluated for susceptibility to six different antibiotics. Among the 48 E. coli-positive samples, the greatest resistance was observed to colistin and neomycin, with sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, enrofloxacin, Linco-Spectin (lincomycin hydrochloride and spectinomycin sulfate tetrahydrate), and chloramphenicol showing lesser but still moderate resistance. Given the isolation of E. coli (O157) strains from raptors in Kerman province and their observed antibiotic resistance, treatment options are significantly limited. Given the raptors' ability to migrate and travel long distances, these resistant and pathogenic bacteria can be transmitted to humans and domestic animals. Therefore, based on the one-health approach, monitoring, studying, and treating infected raptors in captive environments are particularly important for controlling E. coli disease in the context of interactions among animals, humans, and the ecosystem. Further research across broader areas of Iran is essential to identify and manage this disease. </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

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