SURVEY ON BACTERIAL CAUSES OF ENTERIC DISEASES IN YOUNG RABBITS IN ALEXANDRIA GOVERNORAT

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Bacteriology, Animal Health Research Institute, Alexandria Branch

Abstract

A total number of 50 samples from faecal material of rabbits suffering from enteritis were collected from different localities at Alexandria Governorate.  Samples were collected as faecal swabs or intestinal content of freshly dead or slaughtetred rabbits aged 1-4 months. Bacteriological examination was done for isolation and identification of  bacterial strains causing enteric affections in rabbits ; the isolated microorganisms were E. coli, Proteus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium perfringens, and Staph. aureus at 80, 18, 12, 6,6,4 % respectivily .Serotyping of isolated E. coli were: O127, O169, O86, O1. Pathogenicity tests of isolated strains revealed that  E.coli O127, O169 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most pathogenic causing 100% mortality while E.coliO1, Proteus, Klebsiella, and Clostredium perfringens caused 66.6 % mortality, E.coli O1 and Staph. aureus caused mortality at 33.3%. The inoculated rabbits showed general signs of enteric disease and trials for reisolation of inoculated strains were conducted. The sensitivity tests of  the isolates revealed that Ciprofloxacin was the drug of choice for many of the isolates in this study.

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