Isolation and Identification of Enterococcus faecium Bacteria From the Vaginal Cavity of Local Ewes and Study of some of their Antagonistic Properties Against Types of Pathogenic Bacteria

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study was to isolate and identify species of the Enterococcus genus from twelve healthy female sheep in college of agriculture – university of Anbar, western regions of Iraq, and to investigate their growth patterns and biochemical characteristics. Nine isolates of this bacteria were obtained from healthy ewes In the Al-Dawwara area, 10 km west of Ramadi by vaginal swabs. All isolates exhibited growth in MRS-broth, resulting in the formation of a precipitate at the tube’s bottom. Additionally, the isolates displayed the formation of tiny, spindle-shaped, cream-colored colonies when cultivated on MRS-agar medium. The isolates were seen under a microscope and found to be very short rods. They were Gram-positive and either grouped in pairs or found individually. The biochemical tests yielded negative findings for the catalase and oxidase tests, indicating the absence of these enzymes. Additionally, the organism had no capacity to synthesize Indole from tryptophan. The isolates exhibited no growth at 15°C, whereas they demonstrated successful growth at 45°C. The isolates also demonstrated their capacity to thrive in elevated levels of NaCl, with concentrations as high as 6.5%. The sugar fermentation results demonstrated that all isolates exhibited the ability to ferment fructose, glucose, melibiose, silybiose, and sucrose, but did not create any gas. The isolates also demonstrated their capacity to suppress several strains of pathogenic bacteria by the utilization of the hole diffusion method. The genetic study results indicate that all isolates are classified as Enterococcus faecium species.