The Ear Canal Microflora in Domestic Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with Particular Reference to Staphylococci

A cross-sectional bacteriological study of ear canal of rabbits was undertaken to determine the occurrence of bacteria in healthy rabbits in Ibadan. Thirty rabbits, managed intensively, were sampled. A total of 62 bacterial isolates were recovered from 28 rabbits. Staphylococcus aureus showed the highest occurrence of 53.2%. This was followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus zooepidermicus with an occurrence of 12.9% each. Other microbes are Escherichia coli with an occurrence 8.1% and Micrococcus luteus with 6.5 %. Streptococcus morbillorum and Pasteurella multocida showed an occurrence of 3.2 %. All the 41 staphylococcal isolates were positive for slide coagulase test using human plasma, while 32/41 (78.1%) were positive for the same test using sheep plasma. However, when the isolates were subjected to tube coagulase test, only 33/41 (80.5%) of the isolates were positive with human plasma while all the isolates were positive for bound coagulase activity using sheep plasma. The microflora pattern underscores the need for surveillance and the need to screen the rabbits for biomedical research as these latent organisms have the potential to produce clinical conditions. Key words: Rabbits, Staphylococci, coagulase test, microflora