YEASTS IN CERVICAL SWABS OF MARES

From 1987 through 1991, 27,052 cervical swabs taken from mares of the Hanoverian warm-blooded studbook for breeding hygiene purposes were ex amined. 15.2 percent of the samples contained facultatively pathogenic bacteria. In 80.6-88,6 percent of these cases, beta-hemolytic strepto cocci were found. The percentage of samples containing yeasts rose con tinuously from 0.7 to 8.9 percent. The number of samples that were pos itive for yeasts depended on the age of the mares, time between taking and examination of the samples, and also on the month in which the sw abs were taken. These influences alone, however, do not explain the ma rked increase of samples containing yeasts throughout the investigatio n period. Possible causes could be an increase in antibiotic treatment s and various other measures for treatment of infection.