Isolation and identification of Enterobacter spp from pet animals Ear Infections in Al-Hilla Veterinary clinic, Iraq

Objective: To isolation and identification of Enterobactor spp. from ear infection in pet animals in Babylon province by traditional method Automated Vitek 2 system as well as determined the antibiotic sensitivity test.

Methods; One hundred swab of ear infection were isolated from dogs and cats ear infections in different veterinary clinic in Babylon province, at a period between 1january to 1 July 2022.

Results: The results of pet animals swab collection revealed that the percentage of gram negative was 71(71%) while the positive was 29 (29%) as well as the biochemical test showed that the enterococcal cloaca percent was (64%), Klebsiella (19%), positive bacteria (6%), E. coli 3% and no growth was 7%. The biochemical tests showed positive for Catalase, Citrate. They gave negative reaction for Urease, Oxidase, MR (Methyl Red), Indole. By the other hand, the result of isolated E. cloaca that was plated onto culture media. then subcultures on MacConkey agar (MAC) and XLD agar. The Antimicrobial susceptibility test of E.cloaca against 55 conventional antimicrobial revealed that E.cloaca varied to a large extent.  The isolated bacteria showed sensitivity for the most commonly used antimicrobials for treatment of bacterial otitis media in dog and cat which were amoxycillin, amoxycillin+clavulanic acid, cephalospins, gentamicin and fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin) azithromycin, clarithromycin, neomycin and ploymyxin-B. In contrast, the present study showed that E.cloaca resistant for three antibiotic belongs from beta lactam group (Cefsulodin, Loracarbet and Cefpodoxime).

Conclusion: the production of inhibitor-resistant β-lactamases by E. cloacae isolates could be increasingly common in nosocomial pathogens other than E. coli or K. pneumoniae in pet animals ear infection in Al-Hilla city Babylon province, Iraq.