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Home: Veterinary Services: Veterinary Laboratory: BACTERIOLOGY
Services:
- The isolation and identification of:
- Aerobic organisms (General bacteriology)
- Anaerobic organisms
- Salmonella spp, with typing
- Campylobacter spp
- Trichomonas
- Somatic cell counts with bacteriology on milk samples.
- Semen evaluation with bacteriology.
Collection of samples for bacteriology
The correct procedures must be followed when collecting samples for bacteriological examination. This is very important to obtain reliable results.
Keep the following in mind when taking samples:
- Collect the correct sample for the pathogen suspected.
- Take the sample as sterile as possible. Contamination can make interpretation difficult and will influence the result.
- Take samples from affected animals that have not received antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics will, in most cases, inhibit the causative agent.
- Try and collect the sample during the acute phase of the disease.
- Take samples as soon as possible after death as autolysis occurs shortly after death.
Sending of samples
- Samples must be delivered to the laboratory within 4-6 hours after being taken.
- If samples cannot be submitted within the allotted time, keep the samples at 4°C until it reaches the laboratory.
- Containers with samples must be sealed well. Try and avoid sending samples in plastic bags, as these tend to break during transport.
- Ice is one of the best transport mediums. Do not freeze bacteriological samples, as this may cause the organisms to die.
- Swabs can be sent in a transport medium as to avoid drying out.
- 50% glycerol-saline must not be used to transport samples, as this penetrates the tissue and may cause the death of organisms.
- When more than one organ is sent in, place them in separate containers to avoid cross contamination.
Contact person (technical matters)
Erick Kapp: Veterinary technician
Tel: +27 021-887-0324
Fax: +27 021- 886-5341
E-mail: erickk@wcape.agric.za
