The bacterial flora of the medical leech (hirudo verbana, carena, 1820) in karagöl (kahramanmaraş)

This study embraces the bacterial flora of medicinal leeches in Karagöl (Kahramanmaraş). For this purpose, we took samples of blood, stomach, intestine and mouth from the leeches (Hirudo verbana), which were captured in the autumn and winter of 2016 and spring and summer of 2017 in Karagol, at the laboratory. For the isolation of the bacteria; Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) and Brain Heart Infusiyon Agar (BHIA) was used. These media were incubated in an incubator at 24°C for 48 hours. The pure strains isolated from the medicinal leeches (Hirudo verbana) obtained from Karagöl (Kahramanmaraş) were identified by using the 94 biochemical tests present in the molecular identification system of Biolog (The Biolog Genie micro plate). As a result of this study, the bacteria present in the samples of Hirudo verbana leech species collected in the seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter in Karagöl (Kahramanmaraş), were identified as Aeromonas hydrophila-like DNA group 2, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, Aeromonas veronii/sobria DNA group 8, Aeromonas hydrophila DNA group 1, Aeromonas ichthiosmia, Aeromonas sobria DNA group 7, Providencia alcalifaciens, Listeria seeligeri, Chryseobacterium scophthalmum, Enterobacter nimipressuralis, Flavobacterium resinovorum, Aeromonas veronii DNA group 10. Through the study, some useful information about the bacteria found in the body of leeches were obtained. Besides, the quantitative data that can be helpful for an effective cure for the medicinal leeches, which are used as the adjuvant therapy with modern medicine, to increase their efficiency and for planning the protective cautions against its pathogens were obtained.