Microbial ecology of sheep fleece

• Published in: Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 103 - 112
• Main Authors: Lyness, E.W., Pinnock, D.E., Cooper, D.J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.1994; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; BACILLUS; BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS; Biological and medical sciences; CONTROL DE INSECTOS; ECOLOGIA MICROBIANA; ECOLOGIE MICROBIENNE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; INSECT CONTROL; Invertebrates; LAINE; LANA; LUCILIA CUPRINA; LUTTE ANTIINSECTE; MICROBIAL ECOLOGY; Normal microflora of man and animals. Rumen; OVIN; OVINOS; PSEUDOMONAS; SHEEP; WOOL; Pseudomonadales; Entomopathogen; Animal microorganism relation; Insecta; Bacillus thuringiensis; Bacillaceae; Pseudomonas; Bacillus cereus; Sanitary control; Bacillales; Calliphoridae; Bacillus; Bacteria; Pseudomonadaceae; Associated microflora; Lucilia cuprina; Antagonist; Ungulata; Laboratory study; Parasite; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Arthropoda; Microorganism culture; Isolation; Sheep; Artiodactyla; Invertebrata; Wool; Diptera; Population density
• ISSN: 0167-8809; 1873-2305
• DOI: 10.1016/0167-8809(94)90028-0

Normal fleece from sheep run on commercial properties was sampled for the presence of Bacillus spp., fleecerot bacteria and other microorganisms. Bacillus cereus was always isolated, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) was recovered from 92% of samples and Pseudomonas spp. from 88% of fleece samples. Of 120 Bt isolates, 27 were larvicidal to the sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina. Of 14 Bt isolates serotyped, ten were var. thuringiensis, one was var. toumanoffi, one was var. morrisoni and two were var. kurstaki. Larvicidal Bt var. thuringiensis jetted onto merino sheep provided protection against flystrike for 11 weeks in the presence of significant numbers of fleece-rot bacteria. Pseudomonas spp. and Bt were present on the skin in similar numbers throughout most of the 12 week trial period.