Isolation, identification and antibiogram of Pasteurella multocida isolated from apparently healthy rabbits in Al-Bayda, Libya

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Pasteurella multocida in upper respiratory tract (nasal cavities) of apparently healthy rabbits. Twenty adult and young rabbits were sampled, using sterile cotton swabs for sample collection from the nasal cavities of test animals. Swabs were put into nutrient broth and incubated at 37° C for 24 hrs. nasal swabs from 14 of the 40 samples rabbits (35%) showed visible growth suggestive of P. multocida, eleven (78.6%) of the isolates were males, and three isolates (21.4%) were females, whereas 26 samples (65%) were negative. Presumptive identification of the isolates was performed according to conventional bacteriological methods of gross colonial morphology, Gram staining reaction, microscopic characteristics and biochemical tests. Results achieved in this study indicate that P. multocida is harbored in the upper respiratory tract of nearly third of the rabbit population in the laboratory animal unit of the faculty of veterinary Medicine, Omer Al- Muktar university. Antimicrobial sensitivity of P. multocida isolated were tested against seven antibacterial antibiotics. 100% of the isolates were found to be sensitivity to Neomycin and 71.4% were sensitivity to Tetracycline; Erythromycin and Streptomycin should sensitivity of 50% and 14.3%, respectively. One of the hand all isolates found to be resistant to Ofloxacin, Amoxicillin and Cephalexin.