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12. Bovine genital campylobacteriosis

Causative agent 
- Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus, or
  Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis


Differential diagnosis 
- Brucellosis
- Salmonellosis
- Trichomoniasis
- IBR virus infection
- Chlamydiasis


1. History taking 
- Increased infertile cows
- Abortion in middle age fetuses (5-7 months)
- Involvement of above phenomena with
  specific bull

2. Clinical examination 
- Infertile cows: symptomless, irregular estrus
  cycle, mild endocervicitis and/or increasing
  and opacity of vaginal mucus
- Aborted cows : sudden abortion, swelling of
  vulva, transudate from vagina, apparently
  normal aborted fetus


3. Serological examination 
Vaginal Mucus Agglutination (VMA) test for detection of antibody extracted from vaginal mucus collected by swab or tampon

4. Necropsy (aborted fetus) 
- Gelatinous infiltration in hypoclerm
- Increasing and turbid of hydrothorax and ascites
- Adhesion of fibrin to abdominal organs


5. Fetal and washing smear 
- Smear and stain : comma like or S-shape spindal
  bacteria by carbol fuchsin solution
                             : by FA method using conjugated
  antibody for bull specimen and gastrointestinal
  content of aborted fetus. Bull specimens are washed,
  centrifuged, and the resuspended sediment is
  filtered through a membrane filter (0.65 µm)
  before examination


6. Bacterial isolation 
Specimen    : semen and preputial washings from bull,
                     contents of abomasum, small intestine
                     and cecum of fetus
Media          : blood agar and selective media for
                     Campylobacter
- Culture     : blood agar should be incubated at 37°C
                     under mixed gas (10% CO2, 5% O2 and
                     80-85% N2) for 2-3 days or use campy
                     pak
                   : thiol medium with rubber stopper is
                     cultivated at 37°C for 3 days for further
                     passage

Table : some biochemical and physiological characteristics of Campylobacter sp.

 
catalase
H2S
Hippuric acid
1% glycine
1.5%
NaCl
3.5%
NaCl
25°C
42°C
C. fetus subsp. fetus
+
+
-
+
+
-
+
-
C. fetus subsp. venerealis
+
-
-
-
-
-
+
-
C. sputorum subsp. bubulus
-
+
-
+
+
+
d
-
C. coli
+
+
-
+
-
-
-
+
C. jejuni
+
+
+
+
-
-
-
+

 


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