Microbiological studies on genital infections in slaughtered ewes from tropical arid zone of Nigeria

An abattoir survey was undertaken to investigate genital bacterial infections of ewes in tropical arid zone of Nigeria. Vaginal and uterine samples were collected and cultured using standard bacteriological techniques. The results of the study showed that the isolates were Escherichia coli (32%), Staphylococcus spp (26%), Klebsiella spp (16%), Pseudomonas (15%) and Proteus (11%); wherein E coli and S aureus were the most common bacterial isolates. The bacterial population in the vagina (64%) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in the uterus (34%). The antibiotic susceptibility test revealed that E. coli was highly susceptible (100%) to Amoxycillin, Ampicillin, Amoxycillin-clavulanate and Pefloxacin, whereas low susceptibility was observed against Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin (10 and 22% respectively). S. aureus showed 100% susceptibility to Amoxycillin-clavulanate, Gentamicin, Nalidixic acid and Pefloxacin, whereas susceptibility against Streptomycin, Amoxycillin, Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin was in declining order (46, 33, 30 and 20% respectively). The potentials of these microbes for producing pathogenicity in genital tract of ewes is likely to be high in Nigeria. Therapeutic use of these antimicrobial agents will help to reduce infectious reproductive diseases in ewes, though in-vivo trials are further required for establishing their efficacy in controlling genital infections in ruminants.Keywords: Antimicrobial susceptibility, Ewes, E. coli, S. aureus, Genital infection

Dynamics of an Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis Outbreak by Mycoplasma conjunctivae on Pyrenean Chamois Rupicapra p. pyrenaica

Between 2006 and 2008, an outbreak of Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) affected Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra p. pyrenaica, an endemic subspecies of mountain ungulate that lives in the Pyrenees. The study focused on 14 mountain massifs (180,000 ha) where the species’ population is stable. Cases of IKC were detected in ten of the massifs and, in five of them, mortality was substantial. The outbreak spread quickly from the first location detected, with two peaks in mortality that affected one (2007) and three (2008) massifs. In the latter, the peak was seasonal (spring to autumn) and, in the former, the outbreak persisted through winter. To identify the outbreak’s aetiology, we examined 105 Pyrenean chamois clinically affected with IKC. TaqMan rt-PCR identified Mycoplasma conjunctivae in 93 (88.5%) of the chamois. Another rt-PCR detected Chlamydophila spp. in 14 of chamois, and 12 of those had mixed infections with mycoplasmas. In the period 2000–2007, the chamois population increased slightly (λ 1.026) but decreased significantly during the IKC outbreak (λ 0.8, 2007–2008; λ 0.85, 2008–2009) before increasing significantly after the outbreak (λ 1.1, 2009–2010). Sex-biased mortality shifted the adult sex ratio toward males (from 0.6 to 0.7 males per female) and reduced productivity slightly. Hunting was practically banned in the massifs where chamois experienced significant mortality and allowed again after the outbreak ended. Long-term monitoring of wild populations provides a basis for understanding the impacts of disease outbreaks and improves management decisions, particularly when species are subject to extractive exploitation