Mannheimia haemolytica and Bibersteinia trehalosi Serotypes Isolated from Merino Breed Lambs in Extremadura (Southwestern Spain).

Pneumonia caused by Mannheimia haemolytica is an important disease in ruminants. Because of its economic significance, several methods have been developed to study the pathogenicity and epidemiology of M. haemolytica. In this study, bacterial isolates of M. haemolytica and Bibersteinia trehalosi identified from the lungs of sheep were serotyped by means of indirect haemagglutination. Of the 598 lungs studied, 34 isolates were identified and serotyped. In decreasing order, M. haemolytica serotypes were: not typable (50 %), A1 (17.65 %), A7 (11.76 %), A6 (5.88 %), and A12, A2, A5 and A9 (each representing 2.94 %). The only B. trehalosi serotype was T4 (2.94 %). Serotypes A1, A6 and A7 of M. haemolytica were the most commonly isolated from pneumonic sheep producing greater changes in the lungs and having important implications for sheep production.