TDK conference 2019

To date, no detailed study of the oral and respiratory microbiome of dogs and cats has been carried out in Hungary, however, due to the changes of the animal husbandry culture, it is getting more important in both veterinary and public health aspects. By the development of scientific approaches, new bacterial species have constantly been described beside the well-known bacteria. However, we have very poor information about the distribution and pathogenicity of these newly described agents.

In our study nasal and pharyngeal swab samples were obtained from 48 dogs and 8 cats. In some cases bronchoalveolar lavage samples were also taken. Bacteriological examinations of these samples were done by culturing on solid medium, PCR examination and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. In addition, bacterial strains belonging to the Pasteurellaceae family or Neisseria genus were also included in phylogenetic studies.

During our study a total of 35 bacterial species were identified from 130 samples. Among the isolated bacteria, Frederiksenia canicola, Neisseria shayeganii and Neisseria dumasiana were unknown in the last decade, and have never been isolated in our country. Our study demonstrated the presence of these bacteria in companion animals in Hungary, as well as we got comprehensive information about the distribution of certain bacterial species. Our examinations revealed that the lower respiratory tract is a microbiologically poor area, and the microbiological composition of the nasal and oral cavity are significantly different. Phylogenetic study was carried out by rpoB sequence analysis, and the method originally developed for testing Pasteurellaceae was also successfully applied for Neisseria genus. As a result, we could place the canine and feline Pasteurellaceae and Neisseria isolates on a phylogenetic tree which shows the genetic relationships of these bacterial species, which is a unique investigation in Hungary.

Present research may provide a basis for further studies examining the prevalence of bacteria that have not been isolated in Hungary earlier, as well the veterinary and public health significance of the oral and respiratory bacteria of our dogs and cats, and in case of any risk, assessing the treatment options. Additionally, it will be a challenge for the future to translate the knowledge acquired into practice in the shortest possible time.