title: Diagnostic evidence of Staphylococcus warneri as a possible cause of bovine abortion.
abstract: Following a routine necropsy of a bovine fetus aborted at 5 months of gestation, placenta, fetal tissue samples, and stomach contents were subjected to a number of laboratory tests. Staphylococcus warneri was isolated in pure culture from the lung, liver, and stomach contents, whereas the placenta yielded S. warneri and a number of contaminants. Gross evaluation of agar plates showed predominant colonies to be morphologically consistent with those of S. warneri and the identity of the agent was further confirmed on a Trek Diagnostic Systems Sensititre, gram-positive identification (GPID) plate. Microscopic evaluation of fetal tissue sections showed extensive necrotizing lesions of the tongue, lung, and placenta in which there were numerous coccoid shaped gram-positive bacteria with morphology consistent with Staphylococcus spp. These results provide strong diagnostic evidence of S. warneri as a possible cause of bovine abortion and suggest there should be further investigations into the abortivirulence of this agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Diagnostic Services, North Dakota State University, ND, USA. Robert.Barigye@ndsu.edu
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barigye
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schaan
authors.forename: Penelope S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: Ev
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schamber
authors.forename: Neil W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Dyer
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000145:classification*