title: Intrauterine bacterial findings in postpartum cows with retained fetal membranes.
abstract: Eleven Swedish postpartum cows with retained fetal membranes (RFM) were studied to determine the intrauterine bacterial flora. Bacteriological examination was performed from twice weekly uterine biopsies. A total of 161 biopsies were collected during the first 8 weeks postpartum of which 82 (50.9%) were found with bacterial growth. Seventy-one of the 82 bacteria-positive biopsies (86.6%) showed mixed infections whereas the remaining 11 (13.4%) were pure cultures. Generally, a total of 322 isolates belonging to 12 different genera of bacteria, 6 facultative and 6 obligate anaerobic pathogens were identified. Mixed infections were most frequent for Actinomyces pyogenes together with obligate anaerobic bacteria, especially Bacteroides levii/spp. and Fusobacterium necrophorum. All of the studied cows had an infection that involved the first two genera of bacteria, whereas F. necrophorum was found in 8 of the 11 animals. The present work suggests that a possible pathogenic synergism between A. pyogenes and the two main Gram-negative anaerobes might have caused early endometritis and/or persistent infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bekana
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ekman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kindahl
mesh_terms: D000190:Actinomyces / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D004716:Endometritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D005321:Extraembryonic Membranes / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005674:Fusobacterium Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D005675:Fusobacterium necrophorum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006089:Gram-Negative Anaerobic Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014599:Uterus / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology