Oral associated bacterial infection in horses: studies on the normal anaerobic flora from the pharyngeal tonsillar surface and its association with lower respiratory tract and paraoral infections.

Two hundred and seventy bacterial isolates were obtained from the pharyngeal tonsillar surface of 12 normal horses and 98 obligatory anaerobic bacteria were characterised. Of these, 57 isolates belonging to 7 genera (Peptostreptococcus (1); Eubacterium (9); Clostridium (6); Veillonella (6); Megasphera (1); Bacteroides (28); Fusobacterium (6)) were identified, and 16 of these were identified to species level (P. anaerobius (1); E. fossor (9); C. villosum (1); B. fragilis (1); B. tectum (2); B. heparinolyticus (2)). Three hundred and twenty isolates were obtained from 23 samples from horses with lower respiratory tract (LRT) or paraoral (PO) bacterial infections. Of the 143 bacteria selected for detailed characterisation, obligate anaerobes accounted for 100 isolates, facultative anaerobes for 42 isolates and obligate aerobes for one isolate. Phenotypic characterisation separated 99 of the isolates into 14 genera. Among the obligately anaerobic species, Gram-positive cocci including P. anaerobius comprised 25% of isolates, E. fossor 11% and other Gram-positive rods (excluding Clostridium sp.) 18% of isolates. The Gram-negative rods comprised B. fragilis 5%, B. heparinolyticus 5%, asaccharolytic pigmented Bacteroides 3% and other Bacteroides 13%, while a so-far unnamed species of Fusobacterium (7%), and Gram-negative corroding rods (3%) were isolated. Among the facultatively anaerobic isolates, S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus accounted for 31% of isolates, followed by Pasteurella spp. 19%, Escherichia coli 17%, Actinomyces spp. 9%, Streptococcus spp. 9%. Incidental facultative isolates were Enterococcus spp. 2%, Enterobacter cloaceae 2%, Actinobacillus spp. 2% and Gram-negative corroding rods 5%. On the basis of the similarities (as determined by DNA hybridization data and/or phenotypic characteristics) of some of the bacterial species (e.g. E. fossor and B. heparinolyticus) isolated from both the normal pharyngeal tonsillar surfaces and LRT and PO diseases of horses, it is considered that the most likely source of bacteria involved in these disease processes is flora from the oral cavity.