THE PREVALENCE OF PNEUMONIC PASTEURELLOSIS-CAUSING MICROBES: PASTEURELLA MULTOCIDA AND MANNHEIMIA HAEMOLYTICA IN ABATTOIR SAMPLES IN NIGERIA.

Abstract

This study was done to investigate the prevalence of pneumonic pasteurellosis-causing microbes: Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica in cattle. A total of 143 bacterial isolates were identified from 100 samples collected from freshly slaughtered abattoir cattle comprising 20 lung tissue samples and 12 clotted heart blood samples collected from cattle with unhealthy lungs, 41 lung tissue samples and 27 clotted heart blood samples from cattle with apparently healthy lungs. Samples were processed and recovered isolates were identified following standard cultural, morphological and
biochemical laboratory techniques. 83 bacteria isolates were obtained from lung tissues while 63 were isolated from clotted heart blood samples. Pasteurella multocida was isolated from 6(7.22%) unhealthy lung tissue samples and 7(11.11%) clotted heart blood samples (4 from cattle with healthy lungs and 3 from those with unhealthy lungs). Mannheimia haemolytica was isolated from 1 (1.22%) unhealthy lung tissue sample only. Six isolates of P. multocida were found to be motile. Other bacteria isolated in this study include Proteus mirabilis, Pasteurella lymphangitidis, Pasteurella ureae, Pasteurella pneumotropica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Morganella morganii, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, from lung tissue samples while Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus
rettgerii, Pasteurella pneumotropica, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Morganella morganii, Shigella dysentariae, Pasteurella multocida, Streptococcus pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, were isolated from clotted heart blood. The attention of animal handlers and veterinarians is therefore called to the high prevalence of these highly pathogenic organisms in the environment.