Abstract: Pathogen were isolated, identified and observed by electron microscopy after autopsy of twenty seven dead broilers from eight large intensive chicken farms in Shandong province. The results showed that the bacterial co-infections were the outstanding characteristic and the dominant bacteria in this region were Enterococcus faecalis, Aerococcus viridans, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Aeromonas hydrophila. The antibiotic susceptibility testing was taken on lesion tissues of dead broilers with patented product straw antibiotic susceptibility test kit (patent number: ZL 2009 2 0253251.5), which was not only an accurate measurement as traditional drug susceptibility test, but also in situ. It would contribute to understanding potential risk factors and looking for feasible prevention programs in broiler farms.

Key words: dead broiler; pathogen; co-infection; straw antibiotic susceptibility test kit