Pathogenesis of Leptospirosis in Adult Female Goats: Studies With Three Serovars
Bedoya Stabenow, Michael Julian
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/71307
Description
Title
Pathogenesis of Leptospirosis in Adult Female Goats: Studies With Three Serovars
Author(s)
Bedoya Stabenow, Michael Julian
Issue Date
1984
Department of Study
Veterinary Medical Science
Discipline
Veterinary Medical Science
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Agriculture, Animal Pathology
Abstract
The effect of leptospiral infections on the reproductive tract and mammary gland of domestic ruminants has usually been limited to small numbers of dairy cows or abattoir samples. Additional research is needed to further understand the mechanisms of infection and persistance in these tissues of the leptospires, especially the serovars of the Hebdomadis serogroup, which have become the most common cause of leptospiral abortion, infertility and reduced milk yield in dairy cattle in the world. The lack of an adequate laboratory animal and the fastidous growth of leptospires in artificial media have resulted in a limited knowledge of their pathogenicity. The understanding of leptospirosis in goats is restricted to a few isolations from clinical cases or slaughter samples, although serological evidence indicates a moderate prevalence. The purpose of these studies was to explore the potential use of the goat as a model for experimental bovine leptospiral infections and to acquire a better understanding of leptospirosis in goats.
Twenty adult female goats were inoculated intraperitoneally with live cultures of the serovars pomona (strain D787302) hardjo (strains KAP and 846) and Szwajizak (strain Oregon). They were divided into 5 groups of 4 each in a randomized complete block design with 2 blocks of lactating and non-lactating animals. The evaluation of the effect of the leptospires on the goats was based on the clinical signs, milk quality and yield, changes in the blood values, the serum antibody response, the gross and histologic changes and the detection of the leptospires in the blood and tissues. The majority of the animals showed a subclinical infection with leptospiremia and persistance of the organisms in the kidneys, adrenals and mammary gland, and a measurable humoral immunological response. However, no characteristic identifiable acute clinical signs, hematological changes or lesions were apparent and no leptospires were isolated from the reproductive tract. The results of all these experiments showed that although moderately susceptible the goat can be infected and become a temporary maintenance host indicating a favorable potential for its use for leptospiral experimental studies in ruminants.
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