Isolation and identification of anaerobic bacteria from ovine foot rot in Spain

A microbiological study was made of 125 Merino sheep showing clinical signs of foot rot. A total of 435 strictly anaerobic strains were isolated, belonging to the following genera: Bacteroides, Peptostreptococcus, Tissierella, Fusobacterium, Megasphaera, Eubacterium, Acidaminococcus, Clostridium, Peptococcus and Propionibacterium. Of the 35 species obtained, the following were found in more than 10 per cent of animals sampled: Bacteroides nodosus, B putredinis, B buccae, B ruminicola subspecies brevis, Tissierella praeacuta, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius and Megasphaera elsdenii. Six culture media were used for isolation. Agar brucella and agar brucella enriched with G-N anaerobe supplement proved to be the most efficient for isolating anaerobic bacteria.