Fungi and thermophilic bacteria in hay and straw from Chilean horse breeding grounds

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) of horses is an allergic alter ation of the lower respiratory tract with obstruction of aerovias and a muc upurulent bronchiolitis caused by Various allergens. It is a disease of world wide distribution, being more common in warm count ries where horses are fed chiefly with hay and are kept in stables for long periods. In Chile, it has mainly been reported during springtime. In the present study, 99 straw, mixed hay and alfalfa samples, from 19 Chil ean horse breeding grounds of the Valdivia and Osorno provinces were analys ed in order to determine the presence of thermophilic fungus and bacteria. The most isolated fungi were Asperguillus fumigatus, Mucor hiemalis & A. ni ger. Thermophilic bacteria were scarce, only isolating Thermoactinomyces vu lgaris & Saccharopolispora rectivirgula.