Isolation of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis from buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) feces

Abstract

Fecal samples from 119 healthy buffaloes, from 5 farms, diluted in 10% brain heart infusion, were maintained for 3 weeks at 4°C and subcultured weekly onto Mac Conckey agar and Yersinia selective agar with antimicrobial supplement. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis serotype Olll was isolated from only one farm, where an outbreak of yersiniosis was occurring. The bacteria was isolated in 21 of the 25 samples from adult, healthy females and in all the 9 samples from healthy calves. It was not isolated in the samples from other farms, 2 especially, where yersiniosis had been diagnosed 1 and 5 years before. Of the 30 isolates, 14 (46.7%) were recovered from both culture media, one (3.3%) only in Mac Conckey and 15 (50%) only in Yersinia selective agar. Of the 15 isolates recovered in Mac Conckey, 12 (80%) were isolated after 1 week of cold enrichment, 3 (20%) after 2 weeks and none after 3 weeks. Of the 29 isolates recovered in selective Yersinia agar, 22 (75.1%) were isolated after 1 week of cold enrichment, 6 (20.7%) after 2 weeks and 1 (3.4%) after 3 weeks.