Microbiological Status of the Mammary Gland in Lactating Sheeps

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine the microbiological status of the mammary gland in lactating sheeps of the Lacon breed. For this purpose, milk samples from purebred animals, raisеd in sheep farm located in central region of Bulgaria, were collected. The results show that in 46.6% of the tested milk samples from the farm, were not isolated any pathogenic microorganisms. From the positive samples, S. xylosus was most often found, in most cases in combination with the non-pathogenic streptococcus L. lactis ssp. lactis. Only in one of the samples a combination of two staphylococcal species was found – S. epidermidis and S. xylosus, with the presence of L. lactis ssp. lactis. The number of samples with isolated bacteria with pathogenic potential was 16 (53.3%). Only in seven of them (23.3% of all examined) the amount of detected staphylococci is over 104 CFU/ml. No Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from any of the milk samples. The sensitivity of the isolated bacteria from milk samples to antibiotics from different groups is significant. Resistance has only been established to Colistin, Kanamycin, Amikacin and Gentamicin. The mean values of somatic cells in infected and uninfected halves were 1361058 ± 361307.34 and 171000 ± 36586.04, respectively.