BACTERIOLOGY OF MASTITIS IN BUFFALOES IN TEHSIL SAMUNDRI OF DISTRICT FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN 

L. ALI, G. MUHAMMAD, M. ARSHAD¹, M. SAQIB AND I. J. HASSAN²

    Two hundred fore-milk samples collected from 200 mastitis quarters of buffaloes (clinically mastitis quarters n = 17, sub-clinically mastitis quarters n = 183) were subjected to microbiological examination. The diagnosis of sub-clinical mastitis was based on the results of Surf Field Mastitis Test (SFMT). A total of 214 isolates of 13 different microbial species were recovered. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently recovered bacterial species accounting for 49.53%  of all the isolates, followed by Streptococcus agalactiae  (23.83%), Staphylococcus hyicus (8.88%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (6.54%), Bacillus spp. (3.74%), Staphylococcus hominis (1.40%), Escherichia coli (1.40%), Staphylococcus xylosus (0.93%), Streptococcus dysgalactiae (0.93%) and Corynebacterial spp. (0.93%). Yeast and prototheca  each accounted for 0.47 percent of isolates. Two (0.93%) isolates were identified as  coagulase negative staphylococci species. In view of preponderance of the contagious pathogens (S. aureus, Str. agalactiae), it is recommended that mastitis control in the area of study should be based on contagious mastitis control practice. 

Key words: Mastitis, buffalo, milk samples, associated microorganisms