Journal of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
(ISSN: 2659 – 0743)
Volume 7, No. 1, 2025
Pages 221-228
DOI: 10.36108/jvbs/5202.70.0122
BACTERIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF POOLED GUT CONTENTS OF AMBLYOMMA SPECIES INFESTING GOATS IN MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE, NIGERIA
Biu, A.A., Ijoh, B.B. and Bala, A.
Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
The culture, isolation, identification and biochemical characterization of bacteria from homogenized gut contents of Amblyomma ticks feeding on goats in Maiduguri were conducted in this study. A total of thirty-five (35) isolates were obtained including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with the highest frequency of 10 (28.6%) each, Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus spp. and Bacillus spp. with 4 (11.4%) each and Corynebacterium spp. with 3 (8.6%). Upon characterization, Escherichia coli appeared greyish-white with large, thick, moist, smooth, opaque or mucoid on MacConkey agar and as pinkish, rod or bacilli, gram negative, indole, nitrate reduction and MR-VP positive but oxidase negative. Staphylococcus aureus appeared fairly large golden-yellow, round, opaque and as purple-violet colour, spherical or cocci in cluster, gram positive, catalase, glucose and coagulase positive but oxidase negative. Proteus mirabilis appeared swarming with characteristic smell on MacConkey agar, slender rods, gram negative, indole, citrate, lactose, sucrose, mannitol, and generally urease positive. Enterococcus Species appeared mucoid on MacConkey agar and in pairs or chain with rod shape, gram positive and lactic acid-fermenting. Bacillus species appeared as circular ridges, smooth, moist, sticky and medium sized, arranged in long chain, rod, gram positive, and catalase positive. Corynebacterium species were small, grayish, granular, mostly translucent with opaque centers, convex with continuous borders, rod or bacilli and showed metachromatic granules when stained with methylene blue, gram positive, catalase positive but some are oxidase negative. Bacterial isolates found in the homogenized midgut of Amblyomma ticks were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus Species, Bacillus species and Corynebacterium species.
Keywords: Amblyomma, Goats, Gut content, Bacteria, Culture, Characterization
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