Isolations of aerobic bacteria from wild desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni and O. c. mexicana) in Arizona

J Wildl Dis. 1983 Apr;19(2):98-100. doi: 10.7589/0090-3558-19.2.98.

Abstract

Nasal, pharyngeal, cervical and vaginal swab specimens were obtained from 74 desert bighorn sheep for the purpose of investigating the normal aerobic bacterial flora of wild sheep. A total of 281 isolates was obtained and identified by standard microbiologic tests. One hundred seven of these isolates were gram positive and included Bacillus sp. (36%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (8%), S. aureus (4%), Corynebacterium sp. (diphtheroids, 4%), and Streptococcus sp. (48%). gram negative isolates totaled 174 and included Neisseria sp. (18%), Citrobacter sp. (3%), Enterobacter sp. (2%), Escherichia coli (2%), Proteus sp. (2%) and non-fermentative bacilli (NFB) (73%). Of the NFB isolates, Pseudomonas sp. (25%), Acinetobacter sp. (18%), Moraxella sp. (15%) were identified.

MeSH terms

  • Aerobiosis
  • Animals
  • Animals, Wild
  • Arizona
  • Bacteria / isolation & purification*
  • Cervix Uteri / microbiology
  • Female
  • Nasal Mucosa / microbiology
  • Pharynx / microbiology
  • Sheep / microbiology*
  • Vagina / microbiology