VMC 311, Veterinary Bacteriology, Notes compiled by Dr.

Gaurav Singhal

PSEUDOMONAS
They are widely distributed in nature, found in both fresh and salt
water, plants and soil.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

It is world wide in distribution and is found in water and soil. It is found

on the skin of animals and man, inserted into deeper tissues by
puncture and lacerations. Sinuses are infected often by contaminated
water whch contain the organism.

It is a slender rod, 0.5 micron by 1 micron to 3 micron with rounded

ends. It is motile by means of 1 to 3 polar flagella. It does not produce
capsule or spores. The organism is gram negative and is easily stained
by the usual aniline dyes.

The organism is cultured readily on the ordinary nutrient media in

laboratory under aerobic conditions. It can be grown anaerobically too.
The colonies on agar are large irregular, translucent, spreading and
grayish with a dark centre and an entire or undulate edge. An
abundant growth occurs in broth with the formation of thick follicle,
dense turbidity and heavy sediment. The medium usually becomes
green which changes to brown as the culture ages.

It is killed easily by ordinary disinfectants and by heating at 55 degree

C for 1 hour. It is resistant to all commonly used antibiotics except
sulphonamides.

It ferments only glucose, produce ammonia from peptone, does not

form indol, nitrates are reduced to nitrites and H2S is produced by
some strains. It is catalase positive,Methyl red negative, and Voges-
Proskaeyr negative. It hydrolyses gelatin, coagulates milk and
hydrolyses casein and coagulated blood serum.

P. aeruginosa produces two water soluble pigments: One is a green

pigment called pyocyanin, soluble in water and in chloroform, the other
is yellowish-green pigment called fluorescin which is soluble in water
but not in chloroform. Both pigments are oxidation products of
colourless substances and are not produced when the organism is
grown in anaerobic conditions.

They produce enzyme like substance called as pyocyanase which can

hemolyze red blood cells and can inhibit the growth of anthrax bacilli.
A thermostable exotoxin is produced by the organism which if given in
40 to 60 ml doses, is able to cause the death of rabbits.
VMC 311, Veterinary Bacteriology, Notes compiled by Dr. Gaurav Singhal

P. aeruginosa is found in wound infections in a number of domestic

animals, particularly pig. The pigment produced by organism imparts a
blue green colour to exudate. It causes many infections in man which
includes inner ear infection, pericarditis, meningitis, septicemia,
bronchopneumonia, infant diarrhea, and wound infection. The
organism is isolated from clinical cases of bovine mastitis. The
organism is present in the genital tract of both bovine and equine
species. It may be found in bull semen used for artificial insemination.

Immunity is produced after the first time infection. It can be isolated in

pure culture. It is a secondary invader like streptococci and
staphylococci.