Prevalence and Characterization of Disease-Causing Bacteria Isolated from Pigeons (Columba livia) in India

Pigeons harbour and spread numerous zoonotic diseases, including bacterial diseases caused by pathogenic bacterial communities. Pigeons are the hosts for various bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes. In the present study, pigeon (Columba livia) from farms and houses were subjected to determine the major causative bacterial pathogens. The samples were collected from the oral cavity, cloaca and ocular regions of pigeons. The distribution of bacteria was tested using the plate count agar method, and virulence bacteria were further isolated using a selective agar base. Among the three different sources, cloaca harbours a higher (54) bacteria (p<0.05) than other sources. The prevalence of common bacterial pathogens among pigeon samples was analyzed. Among the characterized bacterial species (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, S. aureus, and S. pyogenes), E. coli was predominant in almost all selected samples, especially cloaca samples. The isolates were characterized based on their growth in selective media, biochemical properties and 16S rDNA gene sequencing.