Isolation and characterization of Moraxella ovis from ovine infectious keratoconjunctivitis in a sheep farm of northern India

Abstract

Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) in ruminants is an economically important infectious disease occurring worldwide. In sheep, Moraxella ovis has been frequently reported in disease outbreaks of IKC. In this study, isolation and molecular confirmation of M. ovis from IKC in sheep was reported for the first time in Uttar Pradesh. On blood agar, a narrow zone of haemolysis was noticed around the colonies and on staining confirmed the Gram negative diplococci. Aerobic nature of bacteria was confirmed by growth on the slant in triple sugar iron (TSI) medium. Catalase, oxidase and nitrate reduction tests yielded positive results. Antibiotic sensitivity test showed sensitivity to all the tested antibiotics. Polymerase chain reaction and partial sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA gene showed 99% similarity to M. ovis in NCBI database. Serum agglutination test of infected animals indicated the possibility of M. ovis infection. The study suggests the need for further epidemiological studies to map the extentofthe problem intheregion.