PREVALENCE OF EIKENELLA-CORRODENS AND ACTINOBACILLUS-ACTINOMYCETEMCOMITANS IN THE DENTAL PLAQUE OF DOGS

The prevalence and populations of Eikenella corrodens, Actinobacillus actinomyceterncomitans and black pigmented anaerobic bacilli were dete rmined in three samples of supragingival plaque from each of 30 health y dogs. E corrodens was present in 62 per cent of the dogs and 43.7 pe r cent of the individual plaque samples but none of the dogs yielded A actinomycetemcomitans. Black pigmented anaerobic bacilli mere present in 46.7 per cent of the dogs and 36.7 per cent of the individual plaq ue samples, and their numbers mere correlated with the age of the dogs (P<0.05) and the amount of plaque (P<0.01). It is suggested that the prevalence of E corrodens in wound infections of man from dog bites ha s been underestimated from lack of appropriate techniques for detectin g this fastidious organism.