Bacteriological Evaluation of Pooled Gut Contents of Engorged Hyalomma Species Infesting Goats in Maiduguri, Borno State

Abstract

This study evaluated the bacteria from homogenized midgut of Hyalomma ticks of goats in Maiduguri, Nigeria using cultural isolation and biochemical characterization of homogenized migut of Hyalomma ticks. A total of eleven (11) isolates were obtained including Staphylococcus aureus with the highest frequency of 3(27.3%), Enterococcus species, Proteus mirabilis and Bacillus species with 2 (18.2%) each and Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium species with 1 (9.1%) each. Descriptive analysis of the bacterial isolates revealed Escherichia coli appearing greyish white with large, thick, moist, smooth, opaque or mucoid colonies on MacConkey agar, and as pinkish, rod or bacilli, gram negative, indole, nitrate reduction and MR-VP positive but oxidase negative. Staphylococcus aureus appeared fairly large golden yellow colonies on rich medium and round opaque and as purple violet colour, spherical or cocci in cluster, gram positive,
catalase, glucose and coagulase positive but oxidase negative. Proteus mirabilis appeared swarming with a characteristic smell on MacConkey Agar, slender rods, gram negative, indole, citrate, lactose, sucrose, mannitol, urease positive. Enterococcus Species appeared mucoid on MacConkey Agar, in pairs or chain with rod shape, gram positive and lactic acid fermenters. Bacillus species appeared as circular ridges, smooth, moist, sticky and medium sized colonies, arranged in long chain, rod, gram positive, and catalase positive. Corynebacterium species appeared small, grayish colonies with granular appearance, mostly translucent but with opaque centers, convex with continuous borders, rod or bacilli and shows metachromatic granules when stained with methylene blue, gram positive, catalase positive some are oxidase negative. Further study is needed to understand the relationship between midgut bacterial community and tick– pathogen interaction.