Prevalence of potentially pathogenic bacteria as genital pathogens in dairy cattle.
Bacteria on the genital mucosa have been studied less in healthy, non-puerperal cows than in cows with puerperal endometritis. We have thus analysed bacteria in swabs from the vagina and cervix of post-puerperal cattle (n = 644). Out of the animals, 6.8% had aborted within the last 12 months, 2.6% and 11.6% showed signs of vaginitis and endometritis, respectively. In 17.2% of cervical swabs pathogenic gram-positive and in 11.5% pathogenic gram-negative bacteria were found. Arcanobacterium pyogenes was isolated from 41.3% of cows with endometritis and from 3.5% without endometritis (p < 0.05). From 12.5% of cows with abortion but from no cow without abortion, Staphylococcus aureus was recovered (p < 0.05). Out of 383 vaginal swabs, 88.3% were positive. In 3.4% of swabs pathogenic gram-positive and in 16.7% pathogenic gram-negative microorganisms were found. The percentage of positive vaginal swabs did not differ between pregnant and non-pregnant animals. In the genital tract, the percentage of swabs positive for normal mucosal bacteria decreased from caudally to cranially (p < 0.05). Pathogenic bacteria were found more often in cervical than in vaginal swabs (p < 0.05). In conclusion, bacteria on the vaginal and cervical mucosa in cattle involve a wide range of species. In animals without endometritis or vaginitis, colonization of the mucosa rather than infection has to be assumed.
Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology, Department of Animal Breeding and Reproduction, University of Veterinary Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
T
T
Petit
J
J
Spergser
R
R
Rosengarten
J
J
Aurich
D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000382:microbiology; D000818:Animals; D055667:Arcanobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D003612:Dairying; D004716:Endometritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000382:microbiology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000382:microbiology; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000662:veterinary; D014627:Vaginitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary