Uterine Microbiological Profile Associated with Spontaneous Expulsion and Retention of Fetal Membranes in Cows at Bikaner

Uterine swabs were collected aseptically at 12 hours and 7 days post-partum from 6 cows with spontaneous expulsion (FME group) and 24 cows having retained fetal membranes (FMR group). The samples were processed for bacterial isolation and identification as well as antibiotic sensitivity tests as per standard microbiological techniques. FMR cows showed presences of 46 bacterial isolates at 12 hours postpartum, out of these 32 were gram positive and 14 were gram negative organisms. The percent and frequency of gram positive isolates in this group were: Corynebacterium species (both catalase positive and negative) 16.68%, Staphylococcus aureus 20.85%, Streptococcus fecalis 33.36%, Streptococcus bovis 8.34%, α-hemolytic Streptococci 8.34%, Bacillus species 25.00% and Listeria monocytogenes 4.17%. The percent frequencies of gram negative facultative anaerobes in FMR cows were: Escherichia coli 33.36%, non lactose fermenting enteric organisms (NLF rods) 12.50%, Proteus species 4.17% and Pseudomonas species 8.34 per cent. No of bacterial isolates in these cows on seventh post partum day were 20 wherein 16 isolates were found in one cow and 4 isolates were recovered from two cows. Cows from FME group showed presences of 7 bacterial isolates at 12 hour after parturition, among these 3 were gram positive and 4 were gram negative organisms. The percent frequencies of organisms were: Streptococcus fecalis 16.67% and Bacillus species, E. coli and Gram negative NLF rods were 33.33% each. On 7^th post-partum day a total of 6 bacterial isolates were found in cows with spontaneous expulsion wherein 3 isolates were recovered from onw cow and 3 siolates were recovered from other 2 cows. The bacterial load (192%) was higher in FMR as compared to that (116%) in FME control group. It was also observed that Streptococcus fecalis, E.coli and Bacillus species were found in both groups, whereas, non-enteric group-D streptococci, α-hemolytic Streptococci, mannitol fermenting Staphylococcus aureus, mannitol non-fermenting Staphylococcus epidermidis, catalase positive and catalase negative Corynebacterium, listeria monocytogenes, Pesudompnas and gram negative non-lactose fermenting rods were found in FMR cows only.

In-vitro antibiotic test employing disc diffusion method revealed that out of 24 uterine discharge samples from FMR cows, 21 were equally sensitive to Gentamysin and Kanamycin; 19 were equally sensitive to Oxytetracycline, Neomycine and Nitrofurazone and 18 samples were sensitive to Furazolidone. Each bacterial isolate was also subjected to antibiotic test. Results revealed that out of four isolates of Corynebacterium all are sensitive to Gentamycin and Kanamycin, whereas, only fifty percent of them were sensitive to Oxytetracycline. Majority of Streptococci were sensitive to all chemotherapeutic agents (Furazolidone, Nitrofurazone, Gentamycin, Neomycin, Oxytetracycline and Kanamycin). Similarly, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli, organisms of genus Bacillus and gram negative NLD rodswere found sensitive to almost all agents used. Two organisms of the genus Pseudomonas were found resistant to all chemotherapeutic agents employed.