author(s)
RSD Babu, GA Balasubramaniam, TR Gopala Krishna Murthy, S Sivaseelan and Shanmugasundaram Udhayavel

abstract
Forty three sheep and goat farms located in various regions of Salem, Namakkal and Karur districts of Tamil Nadu with clinical signs suggestive of pneumonia were investigated. Dead animals from each farm were subjected to systematic post mortem examination and the materials collected were subjected to bacterial isolation and identification of pathogens. Out of 43 samples, 41 contained different isolates of bacteria and 2 were found bacteriologically sterile. The bacterial isolates obtained from lung swabs of small ruminants affected with pneumonia were Escherichia coli (46.51%), Mannheimia haemolytica (11.62%), Pasteurella multocida (9.30%), Pasteurella trehalosi (6.97%), Staphylococcus spp. (9.30%), Corynebacterium spp. (6.97%) and Pseudomonas spp. (9.30%). The invitro antibiotic sensitivity test with different antibiotic discs was carried out. It was observed that the isolates implied the order of sensitivity of antibiotics as Enrofloxacin (79%), Gentamicin (65.1%), Tetracycline (37.2%), Ciprofloxacin (27.9%), Ceftriaxone (11.6%) and Cefatoxime (2.3%).