Microbiology

Bacteriology
Swabs from any site should be taken into Amies charcoal transport medium before transport to the laboratory where they may be cultured under aerobic, microaerophilic and/or anaerobic conditions.

Antibiotic sensitivity tests are performed where potential pathogens are isolated. In acute septicaemias, before antibiotic treatment has been started, jugular venous blood samples may be taken, using sterile techniques, and inoculated into blood culture media, before transport to the laboratory.

All genital swabs are cultured, unless specifically requested otherwise, aerobically and microaerophilically. Aerobic results are available after 24/48 hours culture and may be obtained by telephone if required urgently. Contagious Equine Metritis (Taylorella equigenitalis) culture results are available after 6 days incubation. Official Horserace Betting Levy Board certificates are provided for all genital swabs, unless specifically requested otherwise. All Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates are confirmed by biochemical tests and K. pneumoniae isolates are capsule typed using the 'Quellung' method. Anaerobic culture is available on request.

We recommend that all endometrial swabs from mares should be accompanied by a concurrently sampled endometrial smear to aid interpretation of results (see later).

In addition to routine aerobic culture, special methods are routinely used to screen rectal swabs, biopsies (in transport media) and faecal material for Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. Nasal and pharyngeal abscess swabs are routinely screened for Streptococcus equi and, in foals, Rhodococcus equi. Tracheal wash and BAL samples, when submitted for bacteriological examinations, are routinely screened for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Bordatella bronchiseptica and Pasteurella spp. Blood culture media is available on request and we recommend that this is also used for other body fluid samples, especially synovial fluid and CSF.

Virology
Fluid diarrhoea samples may be examined by latex particle agglutination for the presence of Rotavirus antigen. We refer samples for Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) serological tests. Please allow at least 10 days for results.