BEPLS, Vol.1 [3] February 2012 12 | P a g e ©AELS, India Prevalence of Yeast Infections in Small in Ruminants with Particular References to their Treatment by some Natural Herbal Extracts Hassan, A.A. 1 ; Manal A. Hassan 1 ; Rasha M.H. Sayed El Ahl 1 and A.S. Darwish 2 1 Deptt. of Mycology and Mycotoxins 2 Pharmacology Unit, Animal Health Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt. ABSTRACT A total of 400 samples were collected from different farms including diseased and apparently healthy cases of sheep and goats (200 samples of each species) as well as 50 samples of each of soil and feed from pastures and animal houses. The samples included vaginal swabs, faeces, nasal swabs and milk samples (25 of each) for each species of animals of the diseased and apparently healthy. All samples were subjected to examination for yeast species. The results revealed that the vaginal swabs that collected from cases of the reproductive disorders of sheep and goat were the major sources of yeasts where, C. albicans was recovered at percentages of 40.0% and 20%, respectively ) but not isolated from apparently healthy sheep, while it was recovered from 8% of apparently healthy goats . Whereas, the C. albicans was recovered from 20% of cases of diarrhea (fecal samples) in sheep and goat, while it was only recovered from 4% of cases of both apparently healthy sheep and goat. On the other hand, the mastitic milk yielded nearly similar intensive infection with C. albicans, where it was isolated from 32% and 24% of mastitis cases of sheep and goat, respectively. Whereas, it was recovered from nasal swabs of sheep and goat suffered from respiratory disorders (20% and 16 %), respectively. The lower infection with C. albicanse were reported in nasal swabs of apparently healthy cases (12% of sheep and 4% of goat). It was interesting to report that Cr.neoformans was detected in 4% of milk of mastitic sheep and 4% of nasal discharge of sheep suffered from respiratory disorders while, Cr. neoformans was not recovered from samples of apparently healthy sheep. Also, it was observed that, the total Candida species recovered from the soil collected from goat houses was in percentages of (66%) which is higher than that in goat pastures (10.0%). On the other hand, Candida species were isolated only from the soil collected from sheep houses (6%) but isolated from 41% of diseased goat houses. The utilized feeds by such animals yielded different types of yeasts particularly C. albicans and Cr. neoformance which recovered from (30% and 6%) of feeds used by diseased goat but only they were isolated from 2% of feeds of apparently healthy goat. While, C. albicans preset in 50% of feed samples used by diseased sheep, the Cr. neoformance not detected in feeds. Other yeast spp. was also isolated in a lower frequency. Several natural herbal oils and extracts were evaluated as antifungal agents for controlling these yeast infections including Clove, Garlic and Onion oils, in addition to L. termis extract. These herbal oils and extracts were tested using disc diffusion technique.All tested oils were effective in inhibiting the growth of yeast , for instance the zone of inhibition of Clove oil on C. albicans and C. krusie were ( 15±0.51 mm and 13±0.12 mm at concentration of 3%) which was more pronounced than that observed in C.r neoformans and R. rubra (6.0±0.2 mm and 6.3±0.02 mm at conc. 3%) . Whereas, stronger effect was obtained by oil of onion at MIC of 1% that ranged from 5.0±0.03 mm for R. rubra to 6±0.2 mm for C. albicans.Although, the lack of an effective fungicidal regimen as well as the development of antifungal resistant strains suggest that continued investigation is necessary to devise immunotherapeutic strategies and / or drug targets to combat fungal infection for future use in animal topically, locally, prophylactically or as treatments systematically with taking on consideration toxicity of clove oil . INTRODUCTION The fungal infections particularly yeasts infections represent the widest spread and prevalent mycotic diseases of man and animals [1]. The incidence and prevalence of serious mycoses continue to be a public health problem. Despite aggressive treatment with new or more established licensed antifungal agents, these infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality, especially in immunocompromised patients [2]. Transmission of mycotic infection from man to man or animal to man has not been documented. Occasionally, there has been a known or presumed exposure to weathered contaminated environmental sources which often contains the yeast including soil, air, feeds likely to be contaminated with yeast very infrequently[3]. Generally, the normal adult human or animal has a strong innate immunity to infection by C .albicans which lives as a commensal yeast on the body surface and mucous membranes. However, it is considered as opportunistic yeast, as well as an emerging pathogen especially in immunocompromized hosts [4]. Actually, C.albicans has been isolated from different disease conditions in various animal species which indicates the deleterious effect of candidosis on the economical impact of animal production [5]. Moreover, there is an emergence of C.albicans strains resistant to antifungal agents so as the rapid and B Bu ul l l l e e t t i i n n o of f E En nv v i i r r o on nm me en nt t , , P Ph ha ar r m ma ac co ol l o og gy y & & L Li i f f e e S S c ci i e e n nc ce e s s Volume 1, Issue 3, February 2012: 12-22 Journal’s URL: www.bepls.com Online ISSN 2277-1808 [Received 15 January 2012; Revised 29 January; Accepted 29 February 2012] Original Article