Bacterial flora of the conjunctiva and nasal cavity in normal and diseasedcaptive bustards

A survey was carried out to describe the normal aerobic bacterial flora of the conjunctiva and nasal cavity of captive houbara bustards (Chlamydotis u ndulata), kori bustards (Ardeotis kori), and white-bellied bustards (Eupodo tis senegalensis) maintained at the National Avian Research Center, Abu Dha bi, United Arab Emirates. A total of 58 samples were examined from the nasa l cavity and 55 samples from the conjunctiva of healthy bustards. There was no bacterial growth in 45% of conjunctival samples. Bacteria isolated from the conjunctiva of healthy birds included Micrococcus spp., Staphylococcus auricularis, Staphylococcus xylosus, Staphylococcus capitis, Staphylococcu s warneri, Bacillus spp., and Enterobacter amigenus. Bacteria isolated from the nasal cavity of healthy birds included Bacillus spp., Micrococcus spp. , S, auricularis, S. xylosus, Staphylococcus simulans, Staphylococcus sapro phyticus, Staphylococcus hyicus, Staphylococcus cohnii, Staphylococcus sciu ri, Aerococcus spp., and Providencia rettgeri. These findings were compared with bacterial isolates from bustards with clinical signs of ocular or upp er respiratory tract diseases. Mycoplasma spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pse udomonas stutzeri, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia call, Klebsiella spp., Ae romonas hydrophila, and Staphylococcus aureus were the pathogenic bacteria isolated from the conjunctiva of 34.3% bustards with ocular discharges. Myc oplasma spp., P. aeruginosa, Pseudomonas spp., P. mirabilis, E. coli, Klebs iella pneumoniae, and S. aureus were the pathogenic bacteria isolated from the nasal cavity of 74% bustards with upper respiratory tract diseases.