1 research outputs found
Environmental Bacteria Associated With an Institutional Rabbit House
A bacteriological investigation of microorganisms of public health
importance associated with rabbit houses was undertaken to determine
the occurrence of bacteria in rabbit house in Ibadan. A total of 144
swab samples were collected from which 160 bacterial isolates were
recovered. E. coli, (20%) showed the highest occurrence, followed in
descending order by Staphylococcus aureus (12.5%), Proteus vulgaris
(12.5%), Bacillus cereus (12.5%), Bacillus subtilis (10%),
Streptococcus faecalis (10%), Bacillus firmus (7.5%), Proteus
morganii (5%), Pseudomonas aureginosa (I2.5%), Streptococcus
pyogenes (2.5%), Micrococcus species (2.5%)and Klebsiella
species(2.5%). All the 20 (12.5%) staphylococcal isolates were
coagulase-positive using tube coagulase test with human plasma. Similar
strains of bacteria encountered in this investigation have been
incriminated in disease outbreaks in rabbits with losses in terms of
meat meant for human consumption and are therefore of public health
importance. There is the need for regular microbiological surveillance
to protect our growing rabbitaries and the rabbit models in biomedical
research since these latent organisms may produce clinical conditions
when the rabbits are exposed to stress conditions. Above all the
importance of good hygiene and management in rabbitaries cannot be
overemphasized to prevent avoidable outbreaks