The gram negative bacterial flora of the avian gut

Earlier papers describing the bacterial flora of the avian digestive tract suggest that the finding of Escherichia coli in the intestines of some grain and fruit eating birds, notably the parrots and parakeets, is abnormal. It has been postulated that coliforms in these species are likely to be pathogenic and that antibiotics should be used on a prophylactic basis in such cases. The evidence presented to support these suppositions is not convincing. A recent analysis of the records of post-mortem examinations carried out at the Zoological Society of London's collection at Regent's Park revealed that E. coli was present in 180 of 271 apparently normal birds. This suggests that E. coli is regularly found in the digestive tracts of the species under question and that there is no evidence that the organism is necessarily pathogenic.