Infected Bulls Research Articles

Dimetridazole, a Systemic Treatment for Bovine Venereal Trichomoniasis. I. Oral Administration

Tritrichomonas foetus infections were eliminated from six bulls by the oral administration of dimetridazole at the rate of 50 mg/kg body weight daily for 5 consecutive days. The chemical was given either by capsule, or admixed with the feed. Five daily doses at 25 mg/kg administered by capsule freed another bull of T. foetus, but this level was ineffective when fed in grain to two bulls. One of the latter subsequently became negative after repeated courses of treatment at higher dosages. The other bull retained the infection. Bovine venereal trichomoniasis, according to Levine (1961), probably is the third-ranking cause of abortion in cattle. Secondary complications, such as endometritis and pyometra, also contribute to the economic losses occasioned by infections of Tritrichomonas foetus. Levine, in 1961, summarized the extensive literature on this parasite. Subsequent reports pertinent to the chemotherapy of the disease include those of Francis and Collins (1963), Fitzgerald et al. (1963), Gasparini et al. (1963), Rigoulet (1963), and McLoughlin (1963, 1964). The first two papers deal with topical application of therapeutic agents, and the others with the systemic use of imidazole derivatives. Although encompassing much of the material included in brief earlier notes (loc. cit.), this report presents more comprehensive and detailed observations on the oral use of dimetridazole (1,2-dimethyl-5-nitroimidazole) against T. foetus infections in bulls. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experimentally infected bulls were used throughout. The animals were anesthestized, or adequately tranquilized, the penis withdrawn from the sheath, scarified, and then massaged with the trichomonad culture. The animals were examined 1 week after exposure to the parasite and were reexamined prior to treatment to verify the infection. In no instance was an established infection spontaneously lost. Preand posttreatment examinations were made by pipetting physiological saline into the prepuce, closing the opening by hand, and massaging for several minutes. The washings were then collected, centrifuged, and portions of the sediment used to inoculate tubes of Diamond's medium (Diamond, 1957); other portions were examined microscopically for trichomonads. The cultures were examined after intervals of 48, 120, and 144 hr. Received for publication 5 April 1965. The animals were weighed at the last pretreatment examination. Dimetridazole (supplied through the courtesy of Rhodia, Inc., New York, N. Y.) was administered either by capsule with the aid of a balling gun, or admixed in the daily grain ration in dosages of 25 to 100 mg/kg body weight. Each course of treatment lasted 5 days. With the 50-mg dosage administered in the feed, it was necessary to mask the flavor of the medicated grain with molasses after the 2nd day, and finally to withhold all other feed after the 4th day to assure total consumption of the medicament. At least three negative posttreatment examinations during a period of 1 to 7 months were made before an animal was considered free of the disease. Two of the treated bulls were test-bred, and one animal was necropsied.

Relationship of ovarian hormones to the pyogenic effect of Corynebacterium pyogenes.

Rowson, Lamming and Fry1 and Lamming and Rowson2 have reported that purulent infections rapidly become established in the uterus of the cow following introduction into the uterus of infected bull semen or cultures of C.pyogenes during the luteal phase of the œstrous cycle, but infections introduced into the uterus of cows in œstrus fail to become established. Using ovariectomized cows, the resistance and susceptibility of the bovine uterus to infection was shown to be due to the action of œstrogens and progesterone respectively. The possibilities suggested to account for the variation in resistance to infection include: (a) an increase in leucocyte activity during œstrus, (b) an increase in antibody activity during œstrus, (c) the production in the uterus during the luteal phase of an environment suitable for rapid bacterial development. The present work is concerned with the effects of the uterine environment.

The Antibacterial Action of Penicillin, Streptomycin, and Sulfanilamide against Heavy Suspensions of Vibrio Fetus Added to Semen Extender

Although the clinical complex now known as bovine vibriosis was reported by MacFadyean and Stockman (10) in 1913 and from 1917 to 1923 was tile subject of intensive studies by Smith and coworkers (21-26), the disease for many years was regarded as of minor importance in the general problem of reproductive diseases of cattle. The gradual elimination of brucellosis confirms our belief of long standing that factors other than Brucella abortus are often responsible for a considerable degree of interference with the normal reproductive processes. The work of Plastridge (11, 12, 15, 16) and European workel~ revived interest in the disease and stimulated the initiation of intense study in this and other countries. Until recently, observable abortion was generally regarded as the only significant symptom. We now know that delayed conception and sterility are common manifestations of the infection. Some investigators, such as Stegenga and Terpstra (27-29) in Holland, report that Vibrio fetus is the primary etiological agent in outbreaks of enzootic sterility. Clinical observations made in our laboratory confirm the fact that the disease is very widespread. Unpublished experimental data by Hughes and McEntee (7) indicate that infertility is the principal manifestation of the disease. Observable abortion may be infrequent or absent. In 1943, Plastridgc and Williams (14) suggested that the bull might be an important factor in the preservation and dissemination of the disease. In 1949, Herrick (6), and in 1950, Webster and Thorp (31) called attention to and emphasized the venereal nature of the disease and the fact that it may be readily transmitted by coitus. With the establishment of the male ~s the principal disseminator of the disease and the lack of a simple and accurate means to detect infected animals, the question of how to prevent spread of the disease becomes a matter of great importance. This is true especially when the semen from known infected bulls or from potentially infected bulls is used to artificially inseminate cattle over a wide area. We nmst know whether noninfected cattle. can become infected in this manner and, if so, what means can be taken to prevent the occurrence. Plastridge and his coworkers (17), Terpstra and Eisma (30), and Hughes and McEntee (7) have infected virgin heifers by artificial

Studies on the Immobilization-Reaction of Trichomonas Foetus (Protozoa) in Cattle

Summary and Conclusions Immune bodies were produced by the injection of cows with living or formalinkilled Trichomonas foetus. The degree of antibody-response was low, as determined by the test described above, and results indicate that T. foetus is not highly antigenic. In the sera of five heifers injected intramuscularly with washed motile trichomonads, 2 heifers with formalin-killed trichomonads, and 2 heifers intravenously with living trichomonads, immobilization of the microorganisms was observed in dilutions ranging from 1:4 to 1:128. Thus, there there was some degree of variation of titer among the cows. Inoculation with a single injection of trichomonads after a rest period of approximately 102 days produced titers as high as the previous maximal titer or higher. The average time for the agglutinins to appear after the first injection was 17 days, for maximal immobilization 55 days, for total duration of the agglutinins 177 days and duration of complete immobilization 40 days. No agglutinins were detected in the sera of 400 normal trichomonad-free cows and 52 normal trichomonad-free bulls. Also, this test failed to show agglutinins in 11 trichomonad-infected bulls. Sera from 51 cows divided into 3 groups according to the type of trichomonad-infection were tested. In 10 cows in which trichomonads were recovered from the vaginal tract all sera were negative. In 12 cows with early abortion produced by T. foetus, only 2 sera reacted, one with a complete immobilization at a dilution of 1:1, and one with a partial immobilization at the same dilution. In the 29 cows with trichomonad-pyometra only 2 sera reacted slightly, both with partial immobilization at a 1:1 dilution. On the data presented with 9 injected animals, 400 normal cows, 52 normal bulls, 11 infected bulls, and 51 infected cows, it appears that the immobilizationreaction cannot be successfully utilized as a means for the diagnosis of bovine trichomoniasis.

The Distribution of Trichomonas Fœtus in the Preputial Cavity of Infected Bulls

The Distribution of Trichomonas Fœtus in the Preputial Cavity of Infected Bulls

Does The Bull Spread Infectious Abort-Ion in Cattle? Experimental Studies from 1936 to 1942

In the introduction a brief account is given of the experiments. previously carried `out on the experimental farm of the State Serum Laboratory, Copenhagen, in studies on the problem of the transmission of infectious abortion by the male during copulation. Experiments now recorded fall into two main groups In a study of transmission of infection, four bulls excreting Br. abortus in their semen were employed for the service of 27 sexually mature heifers. None of the heifers aborted ; 19 calved normally, and none showed any evidence of placental infection; eight failed to conceive. In experiments on the transmission of infection by bulls serving heifers immediately after copulation with a recently aborted cow excreting Br. abortus in the uterine discharge, 22 sexually mature heifers were used, the three bulls being contaminated by five aborted, cows. None of the heifers aborted ; 14 calved normally, and their placentae showed no evidence of infection ; two of the 14 heifers were already pregnant at the time they were served by the infected bulls ; eight heifers failed to conceive. These experiments further invalidate the view that copulation is of significance in the spread of infectious abortion in cattle. Infection resulting in abortion could not be demonstrated in any instance.

BRUCELLA INFECTION IN THE BULL: A PROGRESS REPORT OF MATING EXPERIMENTS WITH NATURALLY INFECTED BULLS

Australian Veterinary JournalVolume 16, Issue 3 p. 117-119 BRUCELLA INFECTION IN THE BULL: A PROGRESS REPORT OF MATING EXPERIMENTS WITH NATURALLY INFECTED BULLS R. O. C. King B.V.SC., R. O. C. King B.V.SC. R. M. Kinross Veterinary Research Officer, Veterinary Research Station, Glenfield, N.S.W.Search for more papers by this author R. O. C. King B.V.SC., R. O. C. King B.V.SC. R. M. Kinross Veterinary Research Officer, Veterinary Research Station, Glenfield, N.S.W.Search for more papers by this author First published: June 1940 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1940.tb01297.xCitations: 5AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume16, Issue3June 1940Pages 117-119 RelatedInformation

Bacterium Abortus Infection of Bulls

Bacterium Abortus Infection of Bulls