The isolation and antibiogram of aerobic nasal bacterial flora of apparently healthy grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus Temminck, 1827)

Abstract

Grasscutter meat is an important source of animal protein in many West African countries. Despite the obvious potential of the grasscutter towards protein availability, attempts towards domestication have been hampered by diseases of which pneumonic conditions are of extreme importance. This study evaluates the normal nasal microflora of apparently healthy grasscutter with a view of understanding the nasal bacterial flora dynamics in health. Sixteen healthy adult grasscutters were examined for nasal normal microflora using the culture method. The disc diffusion technique was used for the antibiotic sensitivity test. The following microorganisms were identified from the normal flora of the grasscutters, they are; Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus sp, Micrococcus sp, Bacillus cerus , E. coli, Serratia sp, Streptococcus sp, Pasteurella multocida, Streptacoccus, sp., Mannheimia heamolytica, Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp. and Proteus sp. There was no significant sex variation in the populations of the nasal normal microflora. Most of the bacteria were found to be susceptible to cloxacillin, ceftrazone, cefunoxime, ciprofloxacin and gentamycin, while they were resistant to ceflazidime, ampicillin, erythromycin, co-trimazole augmentin and nitrofurentoin. The findings provided the basis for the understanding of normal nasal bacterial flora and the possibility of their involvement in pneumopathies associated with this animal model and it will provided basis for the use of appropriate antibiotics to combat respiratory infections in grasscutter in captivity.

Keywords: nasal, microflora, grasscutter, domesticate, pneumopathies