title: Microbiology of the external ear canal in six African elephants (Loxodonta africana).
abstract: Samples collected from both external ear canals of six adult female African elephants (Loxodonta africana) were cultured for fungi, yeasts and aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. All the samples produced heavy growths of several aerobic bacteria, but anaerobic bacteria were rare and no fungi or yeasts were isolated. The most common bacterium isolated was Staphylococcus epidermidis, which was cultured from 11 of the 12 ears. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus lwoffi, alpha-haemolytic Streptococcus and Corynebacterium species, and Aeromonas caviae were all isolated from at least six of the 12 ears.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. sathya_chinnadurai@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Chinnadurai
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Suedmeyer
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Fales
mesh_terms: D016954:Acinetobacter calcoaceticus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000333:Aeromonas / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000382:microbiology*; D004606:Elephants / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012016:Reference Values; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000302:isolation & purification