Obligate anaerobes in clinical veterinary practice

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Abstract
Clinical specimens obtained from domestic animals were examined to determine the relative prevalence of obligate anaerobic bacteria and the species represented. Of 3167 samples cultured anaerobically and aerobically, 2234 were bacteriologically positive. Of these positive samples, 583 (26%) contained species of obligate anaerobic bacteria in a total of 641 isolates. Most positive samples contained anaerobes admixed with aerobic species, although 6% of such samples yielded pure cultures of obligate anaerobes. The most common sites from which anaerobes were isolated were abscesses (32% of abscesses cultured contained species of obligate anaerobes), peritoneal exudates (24%) and pleural effusions (20%). Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Bacteroides spp., Peptostreptococcus anaerobius and B. ruminicola accounted in the aggregate for approximately 50% of all anaerobic isolates. B. fragilis accounted for 1% of all the isolates and members of the genus Clostridium accounted for 8%.