Antimicrobial therapy for rams with Brucella ovis infection of the urogenital tract.
Rams shedding Brucella ovis in semen but without palpable abnormalities of the epididymides were treated with long-acting oxytetracycline for 15 days and dihydrostreptomycin for 7 days (n = 9) or conventional oxytetracycline and dihydrostreptomycin (n = 9) for 7 days. Nine rams were not treated. More treated rams were considered to have satisfactory breeding soundness examination results at posttreatment weeks 3, 7, 12, and 19. Nontreated rams continued to shed B ovis in semen. After treatment, B ovis was not recovered from 78% of rams given long-acting oxytetracycline and dihydrostreptomycin or from 89% of rams given conventional oxytetracycline and dihydrostreptomycin. At week 21, all rams were euthanatized, and specimens of the testes and epididymides were bacteriologically cultured for B ovis. Brucella ovis was not recovered from the testes of rams or from the epididymides from rams not shedding the organism in the semen. In one treated ram, B ovis was recovered from the semen but not from other tissues. All rams remained ELISA-positive, with the exception of 2 treated rams that ceased shedding B ovis in semen immediately after treatment was started; both these rams became ELISA-negative on the last examination at week 19.
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523.
D A
DA
Dargatz
J A
JA
Smith
A P
AP
Knight
P W
PW
Farin
C V
CV
Kimberling
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001947:Breeding; D002002:Brucella / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004096:Dihydrostreptomycin Sulfate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000473:pathology; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D010118:Oxytetracycline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013737:Testis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004096:Dihydrostreptomycin Sulfate; D010118:Oxytetracycline