The location and longevity in calves of Bacterium abortum ingested with milk and its effect on the agglutination titre of their blood

Hart, G; Woods, G

The location and longevity in calves of Bacterium abortum ingested with milk and its effect on the agglutination titre of their blood

Authors

George H. Hart
Gladys M. Woods

Publication Information

Hilgardia 1(10):203-226. DOI:10.3733/hilg.v01n10p203. November 1925.

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Abstract

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Introduction and Review of the Literature

The discovery of the elimination of Bacterium abortum, in the milk of a considerable percentage of cows infected with this organism was made by Schroeder and Cotton⁽¹³⁾ in 1911. They found the infection to persist in this location in some cows for a period of years, and this has been confirmed by investigators in various parts of the world. Its presence in the mammary secretion affords an ideal opportunity for abundant ingestion of the organism by the offspring during the first months of its life.

In abortion-infected herds, it is very common to see the disease manifest itself in heifers with their first pregnancy even after premature expulsion of the fetus has practically ceased in the multiparous females owing to the establishment of herd immunity. This naturally suggested that, if the organism could remain viable in the udder of infected cows for a period of five to seven years, or longer, it might remain viable in the bodies of calves during the one or two years from the milk-drinking period until puberty and breeding took place, and be responsible for the abortions in these animals with their first pregnancies. While this hypothesis was reasonable, it was advanced in such a way as to lead many to believe it to be an established fact.

Bibliography

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