CLINICO - BACTERIOLGICAL AND THERAPEUTIC STUDEIES ON CORYNEBACTERIUM - PSEUDO TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION IN CAMELS IN ASSIUT GOVERNORATE -EGYPT

Document Type : Research article

Author

Dept. of Animal Med., Fac. Vet. Med., Assiut University

Abstract

Twenty-two (6.29%) cases of the total clinically examined camels (350) showed cold skin abscesses on the neck, shoulder and hind-legs. The superficial cervical lymphnodes of the infected camels were enlarged, suppurative and necrosed. Morphological, biochemical, electron microscopic examinations of the purified isolated strains and pathogenicity test in the rabbit pointed to that the isolated strains were Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis. Results of bacteriological examinations of the twenty-two pus samples yielded 16 cases (72.73% Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis alone, four (18.18%) Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis mixed with Staphylococcus spp. and two (9.09%) Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis associated with Streptococcus spp. Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis was the prominent bacterial isolated from the skin abscesses and suppurative lymphadenitis in camels. Case history, clinical observations and spreading of the natural infection with Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis between camels during July and August months in Assiut Governorate indicate the hot climate play an important role in the activation of the causative agent and facilitate the pathogenesis of the disease and also probably that there is a relation between the insects population and microorganism in the transmission of the disease in camels. Results of antibiotic sensitivity tests indicated that Cephalexine had strong inhibitory effect on most isolated strains of Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis. Surgical treatment with Cephalexine injection with a dose 15 mg / kg of body weight for twenty days gave good results in skin abscesses while, in suppurative necrosed lymphnodes, the infected lymphnodes were diminished in size and inspessiated but the enlargement not completely disappeared. From the present work, we concluded that camels are susceptible to take the infection with Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis and so wer recommended that the hygenic measures and control of insects must be taken in the consideration to prevention the spreading of the disease between camels.

Keywords