PREVALENCE OF GRAM POSITIVE BACTERIA IN BUFFALO MASTITIS IN IRAQ

The present study was designed to determine the buffalo and quarter-wise prevalence of mastitis with their bacterial etiological agents, we collected 332 milk samples from 83 lactating buffaloes for this purposes, the animals examined clinically as well as by CMT, bacteriological examination and VITEK identification technique, overall prevalence of mastitis in buffaloes was 44(53.01%) but in quarters test 93(28.01%). Clinical mastitis prevalence in buffaloes was 10(12%) and subclinical 34(41%) , while in quarters clinical infection was 14(4.2%) and subclinical infection was 79(23.8%), also higher prevalence recorded in hindquarters compared to those of forequarters in both clinical mastitis (RA 1(7.1%) , LA(0.0%) , RP 7(50%) , LP 6(42.9%)) and subclinical mastitis (RA 10(12.7%) , LA 8(10.1%) , RP 32(40.5%) , LP 29(36.7%)). Bacterial isolation reveled in clinical quarters S.sciuri 2(14.3%), S.agalactiae 3(21.4%) , S.dysagalactiae 1(7.1%) , S. uberis 4(28.6%) , S. canis 3(21.4%) , S. equi 1(7.1%) , L.garvaiae 1(7.1%), but gram negative bacteria included : Enterobacteriacae spp. 0(0.0%) and Other gram negative 2(14.3%). In subclinical quarters the following organisms: 5(6.3%) S. aureus 1(1.3%) S.epidermidis 5(6.3%) S. sciuri 4(5.1%) S. lentus 14(17.7%) S. chromogens 3(3.8%) S. haemolyticus and 4(5.1%) S. xylosus, S. agalactiae 6(7.6%), S. uberis 16(20.3%), S. thoraltensis 3(3.8%), S. equi 1(1.3%), E. faecium 2(2.5%), E. gallinarum 3(3.8%), E. casseliflavus 4(5.1%), L. garvaiae and K. rosea 1(1.3%) for each and A. otitis 2(2.5%) while Enterobacteriacae spp. 13(16.5%) and other gram negative bacteria 1(1.30%). Among Staphylococcus spp. the most predominant bacteria was S. chromogens in subclinical infection and S. sciuri was the only one isolated in clinical infection. But among Streptococcus spp. in both clinical and subclinical infection S. uberis represent the most common isolated bacteria followed by S. agalactiae. From Gram negative bacteria, Enterobacteriacae spp. was the most predominant in subclinical infection.