Abstract

The aim of the present work was to determine antibacterial sensitivity and resistance patterns of Pasteurella multocida isolated from rabbits in different farms of Assiut Governorate. Also, this study aimed to detect virulence-associated gene (toxA) of Pasteurella multocida. A total of 40 freshly dead rabbits were used to collect samples from liver, lung and subcutaneous abscess. In addition, tracheal swab samples were collected from 20 diseased rabbits. Bacteriological examination revealed that Pasteurella spp. were isolated and phenotypically identified with an incidence rate of 55% (33 out of 60 rabbits). Ten Pasteurella spp. isolates were randomly chosen for antibiotic sensitivity testing and molecular identification using PCR. Antibiotic sensitivity test was carried using standard disk diffusion method against 13 antibacterial drugs to determine antibacterial sensitivity and resistance patterns of Pasteurella isolates and revealed variable sensitivity and resistance to antibacterial drugs. Pasteurella multocida isolates were sensitive to wide variety of antibiotics (norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, florfenicol, doxycycline, gentamycin, cephradine and cefoxitin). Three out of ten isolates were molecularly confirmed to be Pasteurella multocida and all of them demonstrated the presence of toxA virulence genes. In conclusion, the prevalence of Pasteurella infections in rabbits in Assiut Governorate was relatively high.