Detection of Aerobic Bacterial Species Causing Pneumonia in Sheep and Goats and their Susceptibility to Antibiotics in Sudan

Aims: This study was conducted in Khartoum and Gezira States slaughterhouses to investigate the bacterial spp. associated with pneumonia in condemned sheep and goat lungs.

Study Design: A total of 2085 animals were examined grossly for respiratory lesions (sheep= 1601 and goats= 484).

Place and Duration of Study: Khartoum and Gezira States slaughterhouses during different seasons, from 2018-2020 and conducted in Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Sudan.

Methodology: Bacterial spp. were isolated and identified using analytical profile index strips then more characterization done using Polymerase chain reaction for representative 20 selected isolates and finally antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed.

Results: Out of 320 pneumonic lung samples, 116 samples showed pure colonies and 41 were mixed culture while 163 revealed no bacterial growth. The main bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, Streptococcus spp. Corynebacterium spp. Pseudomonas spp. Staph spp. and Bacillus spp. Twenty representative bacterial isolates examined by PCR technique 10 were Staph aureus and 10 were E. coli to confirm identification. Seven of each were found positive. The Gram-positive bacteria resulted in 41 resistant isolates, 21 intermediate and 141 sensitive to different antibiotics. Ten bacterial species were reported resistant for more than two Antibiotics from different classes mainly tetracycline, methicillin, penicillin and erythromycin. The Gram-negative bacteria resulted in 59 were resistant, 13 intermediate and 108 sensitive to antibiotics. Seventeen of them were multidrug resistance to tetracycline, gentamicin, Imipenem and ceftriaxone.

Conclusion: It was concluded that bacteria could be the main cause responsible for pneumonia in sheep and goats, some of these bacterial isolates were resistance to several Antibiotic which have an impact on public health.