Abstract

This study was carried out with the aim of identifying bacterial species involved in lung lesions of camels slaughtered between October 2009 and April 2010 at Addis Ababa abattoir enterprise, Ethiopia. All camels were originated from Borana and Kereyu pastoral areas. A total of 387 lungs were inspected during the study period, of which 300 (77.5%) possessed gross pulmonary lesions. Of which 72 lungs with lesions were processed for bacteriology and bacterial growth was observed from 50 of the pneumonic lung samples. A total of 54 bacterial species were isolated and identified. These included coagulase negative staphylococci (21.1%), Streptococcus species (19.3%), Escherichia coli(17.5%), Francisella tularensis (5.3%), Flavobacterium species (5.3%), Rhodococcus equi (5.3%), Bordetella bronchoseptica (3.5%), Aeromonas hydrophila (3.5%), Neisseriaspecies (3.5%), Streptococcus agalactia (1.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (1.8%),Pasteurella trehalosi (1.8%), Pasteurella anatipestifer (1.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa(1.8%), Micrococcus species (1.8%) and Mycobacterium species (5.3%). These pathogens could induce respiratory diseases under stressful conditions or predispose camels to other opportunistic infections.

Key words: Bacteria, camel, pulmonary lesion, Ethiopia.