ARE NASAL SWABS FROM PIGS SUITABLE FOR DETECTION OF PNEUMONIA CAUSINGBACTERIA

Nasal swabs and lungs of 150 pigs with pneumonia were tested by cultur e at post mortem examination. The isolated agents were Pasteurella mul tocida (P. m.), P. haemolytica, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Actinobacil lus pleuropneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp. and Es cherichia coli. P. m. was most frequently found, and this agent only s howed a significant correlation between lungs and nasal swabs. In 80,6 % of pigs with P. m. in the lung the agent was detected in the nose, too. Drug resistance patterns of P. m. isolates from lungs and noses o f the single animals were identical or similar, also in case of differ ent capsular types. The examination of porcine nasal swabs for bacteri a capable of causing pneumonia should be limited to P. multocida. Demo nstration of agents in lung material is generally more certain.