Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of vaginal bacteria from ewes treated with progestin-impregnated intravaginal sponges

The objective was to characterize vaginal bacteria in ewes with vaginitis. Intravaginal sponges impregnated with medroxyprogesterone were used to synchronize estrus in 22 multiparous Santa Inês ewes. At sponge removal (6 days later), all ewes had clinical signs of vaginitis. Purulent vaginal secretions were subjected to standard bacteriological procedures, including determining whether isolates were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin, cefalotin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, ampicillin, penicillin G, and amoxicillin. The majority of the isolateswere coliforms (72.7% Escherichia coli and 18.2% Klebsiella pneumoniae), whereas the remainder were Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrobial resistance was common, with all isolates resistant to at least one compound. Ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were the most effective (100% susceptibility), whereas penicillins (including broad-spectrum penicillins), were the least effective (80–100% resistance). In conclusion, pathogenic bacteria, mainly coliforms,were present in association with vaginitis in ewes given intravaginal sponges; all isolates were susceptibile to at least some antimicrobials