Enteric bacteria are considered important potential pathogens in avian clinical medicine, causing either primary or opportunistic infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of enterobacteria in the intestinal microbiota of psittacine birds and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of the Escherichia coli isolates cultured. Fecal samples were collected from 300 parrots captured from the illegal wildlife trade in Goiás, Brazil and were processed using conventional bacteriological procedures. A total of 508 isolates were obtained from 300 fecal samples: 172 E. coli (33.9% of isolates; 57.3% of individuals); 153 Enterobacter spp. (30.1% of isolates; 51.0% of individuals); 89 Klebsiella spp. (17.7% of isolates; 29.7% of individuals); 59 Citrobacter spp. (11.6% of isolates; 19.7% of individuals), 21 Proteus vulgaris (4.2% of isolates; 7.0% of individuals), 5 Providencia alcalifaciens (0.98% of isolates; 1.67% of individuals), 5 Serratia sp. (0.98% of isolates; 1.67% of individuals), 3 Hafnia aivei (0.59% of isolates; 1.00% of individuals), and 1 Salmonella sp. (0.20% of isolates; 0.33% of individuals). Escherichia coli isolates were subsequently tested for susceptibility to the following antibiotics: amoxicillin (70.93% of the isolates were resistant), ampicillin (75.58%), ciprofloxacin (23.25%), chloramphenicol (33.14%), doxycycline (64.53%), enrofloxacin (41.28%), tetracycline (69.19%), and sulfonamide (71.51%). Multi-resistance to three and four groups of antibiotics occurred in 40 samples (23.25%) and 4 samples (2.32%), respectively. These results demonstrate that illegally traded birds are carriers of potentially pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli strains with antimicrobial resistance.

Free living birds are considered a potential source of pathogens for livestock. In order to assess their importance in the epidemiological chain of avian salmonellosis, 260 biological samples were taken from two species with known synanthropic behavior: (a) Pigeon (Columbia livia) and (b) Black-headed vulture (Coragyps atratus). Both were screened for the presence of Salmonella enterica, with subsequent serotyping of positive samples. To facilitate the above mentioned serotyping of the biological samples we adopted conventional bacteriological methods and rPCR analysis. During the bacteriological examination a total of 13% (26/200) samples from the pigeons, were found positive. Of those isolated, 73% (19/26) were identified as Salmonella enterica, serotype Schwazengrund; 23.07% was identified as Salmonella enterica, serotype Typhimurium, 3.84% (1/26) was identified as Salmonella enterica, serotype Enteriditis. The results of the rPCR analysis showed 27% (54/200) as being positive with Salmonella enterica. None of the 60 samples taken from the vultures, showed up as positive during the conventional bacteriological exams, contrarily to the rPCR analysis, which detected 8.3% (5/60) as positive. In conclusion, pigeons and black-headed vulture from the metropolitan area of Goiânia could be identified as carriers of Salmonella species.