Aerobic Bacteria in the Nasal Cavity of Healthy Camels

The aim of this study was to identify aerobic bacteria present in the nasal cavity of apparently healthy camels. Hundred apparently healthy camels of different age groups were randomly sampled; 40 from camels kept at the Research Camels Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Shambat, 25 from Camels in the Research Station in Tamboul and 35 from camels brought to Tamboul market for slaughter. Nasal swabs were aseptically collected for bacteriological examination. Standard microbiological techniques were used for isolation and identification of different bacterial isolates. Form a total of 100 samples, 256 isolates representing different genera were identified. Two hundred and nine (81.6%) were Gram-positive bacteria and 47 (18.4%) were Gram-negative bacteria. The Gram-positive species belonged to the genera Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Streptococcus and Actinomyces. Gram- negative species belonged to the genera Neisseria, Klebsiella, Moraxella, Pasteurella, Mannhiemia and Escherichia. Several of these bacteria normally present in nasal cavity are potential pathogens which may cause respiratory infection under stress condition among these are Actinomyces pyogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida and Mannhiemia heamolytic