Prevalance and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Bacterial Species Isolates From Ovine Clinical Mastitis Cases in Van Province

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of some bacterial agents causing mastitis in sheep in Van province. Identification of isolated agents at species level was performed by automated bacteria identification system and disc diffusion test was used to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility. In the study, bacterial agent was isolated from 51 (49.51%) of 103 milk samples, while no bacterial growth was in the rest of the samples. It was determined that Pseudomonas spp. (27.1%), Mannheimia haemolytica (16.94%), Staphylococcus spp. (13.55%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (11.86%) were mostly isolated bacterial agents. However, 72.2%, 52.8%, 42.2%, 25%, 50% and 50% of Gram negative bacterial agents were resistant to penicillin, cefoxitin, tetracycline, co-trimaxozole, tilmicosin and erythromycin, respectively. Also, 21.7%, 43.4%, 8.7%, 8.7%, 8.7% and 4.3% of Gram positive bacterial agents were resistant to methicillin, cefoxitin, enrofloxacin, tilmicosin, erythromycin and gentamicin, respectively. In conclusion, it was observed that Pseudomonas spp. and Mannheimia haemolytica isolates could play an important role in mastitis cases in sheep as well as Gram positive bacterial agents. Additionaly, it was determined that the use of penicillin, cefoxitin, tetracycline, tilmicosin and erythromycin should be considered in the treatment of mastitis in sheep in Van province. It was concluded that antimicrobial susceptibility tests together with agent isolation and identification are important for effective antimicrobial therapy in the treatment of infections caused by bacterial agents.