CHARACTERISATION OF Parteurella multocida ISOLATES FROM RABBITS

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Date
1992-09-04
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES Mannuthy - Trichur
Abstract
The prevalence of Pasteurella multocida in rabbits in and around Thrissur was probed by cultural isolation and confirmed by the elucidation of the identity of the isolates by their physiological, biological and serological characteristics. A total of 112 rabbits comprising 76 apparently healthy and 36 ailing/dead animals of various age groups and breed were subjected to cultural screening. This attempt fructified in the isolation of P. multocida from five rabbits of New Zealand White breed and one of the Grey Giant breed which died of respiratory infection. Post mortem examination of these animals revealed typical haemorrhages in the trachea, haemorrhages and abscessation in lungs and necrotic foci in liver. The present study suggests the prevalence of P* tQ'-iba as one of the causative agent of respiratory tract infection of rabbits kept at laboratory animals facilities. The biological and biochemical characters of all the six isoj.ates were similar to those characters of rabbit of multocida which were reported by earlier workers. These isolates were pathogenic to mice when intraperitoneally inoculated as all the mice were killed within 72 h. In rabbits, these isolates could not establish clinical infection on experimental intranasal inoculation, while at necropsy the animals revealed macroscopic and microscopic lesions suggestive of pasteurellosis. The antibiogram of the isolates were studied and all the isolates were sensitive to several of the chemotherapeutic agents but uniformly resistant to erythromycin. Serologically/ a common somatic antigen in all the three rabbit isolates tested and vaccine strain P^2 could be established by gel diffusion precipitin test. However, additional somatic antigen for one isolate and the vaccine strain P^2 could also be detected when they were reacted against their homologous antisera.
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