Effect of Respiratory Disease on the Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Cytology and Bacteriology in Sheep

A study was undertaken to determine the effect of respiratory disease in sheep on the Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology and bacteriology. Thirty two male housed sheep were subjected to fibreoptic bronchoscopy and BAL was collected. The BAL fluid of the affected sheep contained a significantly higher percentage of neutrophils (18.50 ±1.37 %) and lymphocytes (27.75 ±3.17 %) and a lower percentage of alveolar macrophages (39.25 ±5.15 %) than the group of healthy sheep (10.75 ±2.01, 14 ±2.73 and 62 ±6.60 % respectively). A low macrophage-to-neutrophil ratio was observed in sheep showing symptoms of respiratory diseases. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacteria isolated from BAL (41.67 %) of affected sheep. Other bacteria that were isolated included Klebsilla spp., Escherichia coli, Streptococcus spp and Mannheimia haemolytica. The bacteria were found to be sensitive to cephotaxime (84.21 %), gentamicin (78.95 %), enrofloxacin (78.95 %), chloramphenicol (68.42 %) and oxytetracycline (47.37 %) and resistant to streptomycin, ampicillin and cloxacillin. These results may allow BAL to assume a more prominent role in diagnosis and management of respiratory disease of sheep in the near future.