[Bacteriological studies of Haemophilus equigenitalis Taylor 1978, the causative organism of contagious equine metritis 1977 (author's transl)].

The cultural, biochemical, antigenic and antibiotic susceptibility characteristics of 17 strains of Haemophilus equigenitalis, the causative organism of contagious equine metritis (CEM), were studied. Biochemical characteristics were investigated using both conventional method and the API ZYM system of enzyme detection. The biochemical profile of the H. equigenitalis strains was unique and differed from the other bacterial species studied under the same experimental conditions (H. influenzae and H. parainfluenzae, B. abortus and B. melitensis, P. multocida, A. calcoaceticus). The required X and V factors were never demonstrated and therefore the placement of H. equigenitalis in the genus Haemophilus is discutable. This species presented an, antigenic homogeneity and exhibited no cross-reaction with the other strains tested in this study. Antibiotic susceptibility was studied by diffusion test and MIC determination. The strains were susceptible to all antibiotics with the exception of clindamycin, lincomycin and streptomycin; where the streptomycin resistance was inconstant.