Vaginal flora of Iraqi sheep and goats during different reproductive stages

The recent study was carried on 26 ewes and 21 does in the Animal farm of Veterinary Medicine College in Baghdad University during 2007. Bacterial swabs were taken from the female vagina in different reproductive status. The results revealed that there were significant differences in the multiparturient and postparturient animals comparing with the ewe lamb and pregnant ewes, while in the does there were no significant differences between these stages. The highest bacterial isolation in the sheep was the Enterobacter species 29.6% and Escherichia coli 18.5%. In the goat, the Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus faecalis was 21.8%. The investigation showed that there was a possibility of isolation of 12 different types of bacteria from the reproductive tract and the probability of presence of more than one type of bacteria in the same swabs. In this study the bacteria isolated appears to be affected by the reproductive status in the ewes. This finding not observed in the does which might be more resistant to infection.