Salmonella dublin skin lesions in a veterinary surgeon

Veterinary surgeons as vectors of Salmonella dublin

Salmonella dublin is an important bovine pathogen, causing dysentery, abortion, and death from septicaemia. S dublin dermatitis, a little-recognised occupational hazard for veterinary surgeons, does not cause serious disability or inconvenience. During a survey of brucellosis in south-west Wales four cases of S dublin dermatitis were seen in veterinary surgeons. One surgeon was reinfected three years later. On all five occasions the veterinary surgeons had not worn or had discarded polyethylene gloves. An apparently healthy cow may serve as a latent carrier of S dublin. Thus when disease starts in a closed, protected herd reactivation of infection within the herd is usually blamed and its introduction by extraneous agents considered to be unlikely. Veterinary surgeons should be regarded as potential vectors of S dublin.

The diagnosis of salmonella abortion in cattle with particular reference to Salmonella dublin. A review

The diagnosis of abortion in cattle caused by Salmonella dublin depends upon the isolation of the organism from either the products of conception, uterine discharges, vaginal mucus or milk together with serological evidence of active infection. S. dublin may be isolated when an active or a latent carrier cow abourts but in these cases an active infection will not be demonstrable. The retrospective identification of a case of S. dublin abortion may prove difficult as excretion of the organism is usually transient and the serum agglutinating antibodies frequently fall to low titres soon after the abortion.