Survey and Dynamics of bacteria involved in secondary infections in sheep affected by orf virus

Abstract

In recent decades, secondary infection bacteria quickly increased their pathogenicity in both human and veterinary patients, due to their continuously increasing antibiotic-resistance. When such bacteria intervene in infections as orf in sheep, they can determine an important impact either in the sanitary or in the economic aspect of the brreding sector. Considering the relatively high spread and economic impact of orf in Romanian sheep, this research aimed to estimate the complexity of the secondary infections in diseased sheep in connection with the severity of the lesions displayed. The research was conducted in five herds, on 3 to 96 month old sheep, with orf lesions, scored from mild to severe. The bacteria were isolated from the lesions and identified by cultivation on broth and agar plates plus identification by use of API galleries. The severity of the lesions did not seem to be influenced by the number of bacterial species isolated, but by the herd environment and individual pathogenicity of the isolates.