2 research outputs found
Prevalence and drug susceptibility of mycotic endometritis in Sahiwal cattle in District Faisalabad, Pakistan
Mycotic infections of reproductive tract did not receive much attention in the past.
Fungi cause reproductive problems by invading or colonizing the reproductive tract,
which adversely affects the reproductive efficiency in cattle. Current study was
designed to find out the prevalence of fungal pathogens from uterine samples of
Sahiwal cattle and to perform antifungal susceptibility testing on the isolated fungal
pathogens. For this purpose, 144 uterine samples were collected and cultured on
Sabouraud’s dextrose agar at 25oC for two weeks. Fungi were identified based on
the microscopic characteristics. The results showed that out of 144 samples, 4 were
found positive, showing an overall prevalence of mycotic endometritis in Sahiwal
cattle as 2.8% in Faisalabad. Penicillium and Aspergillus species were the isolated
fungal pathogens. The prevalence of mycotic endometritis was significantly higher
in cattle having the history of reproductive problems (P<0.05). However, the
association between mycotic endometritis, and managemental conditions, parity,
herd size, body condition score, and the breeding method was statistically non-significant. The mean endometrial thickness in Sahiwal cattle suffering from
mycotic endometritis was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the value for non-endometritis cattle. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Itraconazole
(Rolac®) was 4.12 mg/ml against Aspergillus spp. and 8.6mg/ml against
Penicillium spp. However, both Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. were resistant to
Fluconazole (Fungone®). It is recommended that further studies should be
undertaken to investigate the role and economic impact of fungal pathogens in the
etiology of reproductive disorders that fail to respond to antibiotic treatment