Isolation and Characterization of Bacterial Isolates from Poultry Shop Wastewater and Their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns in Samawah City, Iraq

Author(s): Abbas Abdulameer Al-Raad
Date: 18/10/2026
doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8425890

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Abstract

Poultry shop wastewater represents a significant source of environmental pollution because it contains high organic loads and may harbor bacterial isolates capable of contaminating surrounding soil and water resources. This study investigated the occurrence of bacterial isolates in wastewater discharged from poultry shops in Samawah City, Iraq, and evaluated the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of the recovered isolates. Wastewater samples were collected from 10 poultry shops; bacterial isolates were recovered and characterized using standard microbiological, microscopic, morphological, and biochemical methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. A total of 46 bacterial isolates were recovered from 6 bacterial groups, with Enterobacter spp. and Escherichia coli being the most frequently isolated, each accounting for 21.74% (10/46) of the isolates, followed by Micrococcus spp. 19.57%, Staphylococcus epidermidis 17.37%, Staphylococcus aureus 15.22%, and Streptococcus spp. 4.35%. The isolates exhibited variable antimicrobial resistance patterns across the tested antibiotics, with resistance observed among several bacterial groups. These findings suggest that poultry shop wastewater may represent a potential environmental reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and highlight the importance of appropriate wastewater management, microbiological surveillance, and prudent antimicrobial use in poultry-related activities.

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