Bacteriological evaluation of tracheobronchial wash of healthy calves and calves with bronchopneumonia raised in the State of São Paulo, Brazil - preliminary date

Abstract

Respiratory diseases are one of the illnesses that most affect the calves, which main microorganisms found are Manheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Mycoplasma spp. The aim of this study was to evaluate 60 calves (healthy and diseased) of Bragança Paulista and Presidente Prudente, SP, by clinical examination and collection of tracheobronchial wash, studying the most frequently isolated bacteria in cases of bronchopneumonia. We observed a frequency of isolation of 42% Bacillus spp, 25% for Sthaphylococcus intermedius, 7% Streptococcus spp, 7% Enterobactérias, 5% Escherichia coli, 3% Enterobacter cloacae, 2% Serratia rubidae, 2% Pantoea agglomerans, 2% Enterobacter aerogenes, and 2% non-fermentative bacteria. There was no isolation for Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida. For mycoplasmas, the isolation rate was 5%, with identification of M. díspar in­­ 14,8 % and no of amplification for M. mycoides, subsp. mycoides SC, in  27 samples by PCR. With these preliminary results, it was concluded that M. dispar may be an important agent in appearance of cases of pneumonia in cattle, according to reports by other authors. The results above suggest a possible contamination of the sample due to the inhalation of these bacteria, which were present in the environment, as collect of the samples were aseptically.