Abstract

The study was conducted in Maiduguri, North - Eastern Nigeria to assess the bacterial flora, gross and histopathological lesions of caprine pneumonic lungs. A total of 500 caprine pneumonic lung samples from goats slaughtered at the Maiduguri municipal abattoir were collected and examined. The results of the bacterial isolates showEscherichia coli (86.6%), Mannheinmia haemolytica (54.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae(52.8%), Streptococcus pyogenes (19.6%) and Staphylococcus aureus (17.6%). Mixed infection of S. aureus and S. pyogenes was seen in 41(8.2%), E. coli and S. aureus in 36 (7.2%) and K. pneumoniae, S. aureus and S. pyogenes in 29 (5.8%). The gross lesions of pneumonic lungs identified were congestion, consolidation and exudation. Three types of pneumonia were identified based on the histopatholological examinations of 25 pneumonic lungs randomly selected from the 500 lungs samples collected which included: bronchopneumonia 12 (48%), interstitial pneumonia 8 (32%) and Cuffing pneumonia 5 (20%). E. coli and M. haemolytica were the bacteria most frequently isolated from lungs with lesions of bronchopneumonia while S. pyogenes and S. aureus were more frequently isolated from lungs with lesions of interstitial pneumonia. There was no statistical association (P>0.05) between the lung lesions observed and the associated bacterial isolates.

Key words: Caprine, pneumonia, bacterial flora, pathology, Nigeria.