Epididymitis with Pasteurella multocida isolated from two male Japanese Black beef calves

Two male Japanese Black calves developed an enlarged scrotum and testis. Orchiectomy was performed and pus was collected during surgery. After removal of the testis, bacteriological and histopathological examinations were conducted to investigate the cause and confirm the diagnosis. Based on the results obtained, both cases were diagnosed with epididymitis caused by an infection with Pasteurella multocida. This is the first study to show that P. multocida causes epididymitis in male calves. Further studies are required to clarify the details underlying the infection of calves with P. multocida.

Epididymitis in mice experimentally infected with Trypanosoma equiperdum: a histopathological and immunohistochemical study

Trypanosoma equiperdum is a causative agent of dourine in equids and is transmitted from stallions to mares by coitus. Dourine-affected stallions develop orchitis and epididymitis, and these lesions are considered to be responsible for the sexual transmission of T. equiperdum during coitus. However, the parasitic site of trypanosomes in the reproductive organs and the mechanisms underlying transmission have not yet been elucidated histopathologically. We examined the reproductive organs of male mice infected with T. equiperdum histopathologically and identified severe epididymitis with sperm granulomas. Many trypanosomes were detected in the epididymal interstitium and a few were seen within tubular lumen. Interstitial inflammatory cells mainly consisted of Iba1-, iNOS- and CD204-positive cells with a few CD3-, FOXP3- or PAX5-positive cells. There was diffuse immunolabelling of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) within these inflammatory foci. While caspase-3-positive epithelial cells in the epididymis were not observed in control mice, they were detected multifocally in infected mice and were frequently associated with loss of immunolabelling of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), a major protein that forms tight junctions between epididymal epithelial cells. Anti-laminin immunofluorescence revealed an indistinct basement membrane of the epididymal duct. These results suggest that trypanosomes in the epididymal interstitium induce the infiltration of TNF-α-secreting macrophages. Secreted TNF-α may impair the tight junctions of the epididymal duct by inducing apoptosis and downregulating ZO-1 expression.

A case report: Actinobaculum suis infection associated with formation of pyogranuloma, epididymitis and azoospermia in a boar

BACKGROUND

Actinobaculum suis is a bacterium known to cause infections of the urogenital tract of sows. Infection can occur through close contact to boars, who frequently carry the pathogen in their preputial diverticulum but do not become clinically diseased themselves. In the current case, Actinobaculum suis was isolated from pyogranuloma of inflamed epididymis in a boar with poor fertility.

CASE PRESENTATION

Increased return to oestrus rate, which worsened after the purchase of a new boar, was reported in an organic farm in Switzerland. During herd examination, azoospermia of the boar was diagnosed, and slaughter, followed by examination of its urogenital tract, was carried out. Pathologically, pyogranuloma formation and epididymitis were diagnosed. Bacteriology of the pyogranulomas showed growth of Actinobaculum suis and mixed flora. After the boar was replaced, the return to oestrus rate improved tremendously.

CONCLUSION

A close relative of Actinobaculum suis, namely Actinotignum schaalii, has already been associated with epididymitis in humans. Considering the present case and the parallels in human medicine, Actinobaculum suis should be included in the list of differentials of boars with poor fertility.

Isolation of Histophilus somni and Trueperella pyogenes from a 2-month-old calf with chronic fibrosing and suppurative epididymitis

A 2-month-old red Angus crossbred calf was evaluated for a severely swollen scrotum, approximately 30 cm in diameter. Culture of the lesion isolated both Trueperella pyogenes and Histophilus somni. A final diagnosis based on the histopathology report was chronic fibrosing epididymitis with testicular atrophy and mild orchitis.

Scrotal enlargement in rams and bucks in Qassim region, central of Saudi Arabia: clinical and ultrasonographic findings and seroprevalence of brucellosis

The aim of this study was to clarify the causes of scrotal enlargement in rams and bucks in Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Enlarged scrotal contents of rams and bucks (n = 153) were examined by visual inspection, palpation, and ultrasonography. Blood samples were obtained and tested for Brucella sp. infection. Clinical and ultrasonographic findings showed that scrotal enlargement was mainly associated with orchitis, peri-orchitis, and epididymitis. Miscellaneous findings were scrotal hernia, scrotal hematoma, and hydrocele. The frequencies of orchitis, peri-orchitis, and epididymitis were 47.4, 21.1, and 14.1% in Awassi rams; 54.5, 21.7, and 8.7% in Najdi rams; 52.3, 20.5, and 9.1% in Ardi bucks; and 50, 16.7, and 16.7% in Damascus bucks, respectively. Orchitis was associated with no-abscess formation (23%), single-abscess formation (15.4%), and multiple-abscesses formation (61.6%). Peri-orchitis was characterized by hard consistency, atrophy of the testes, and extensive connective tissue formation. Epididymitis was observed mainly at the tail of the epididymis (82.4%) but rarely at the head (17.6%). Epididymitis was associated in many cases with abscessation (70.6%). Males with orchitis, peri-orchitis, and epididymitis were positive for Brucella melitensis and Brucella ovis in the frequency of 21.3% and 48.8%, respectively. In conclusion, scrotal enlargement in rams and bucks in Qassim region is caused mainly by inflammation of the testis and/or epididymis and associated tremendously with brucellosis seropositivity.

Unilateral Orchitis and Epididymitis Caused by Salmonella Enterica Subspecies Diarizonae Infection in a Ram

A case of unilateral suppurative epididymo-orchitis associated with Salmonella enterica subsp. diarizonae serovar 61:k:1,5,(7) infection is described in a 2-year-old ram. Gross lesions were characterized by severe enlargement of the scrotal contents, fibrous adhesions between testicular layers, coexistence of epididymal abscesses and foci of fibrinous exudate, and testicular atrophy. Microscopically, testicular and epididymal microabscesses and diffuse inflammatory infiltrates with abundant macrophages containing short Gram-negative rods were observed. Superimposed on the chronic lesions were fibrin deposits with clusters of neutrophils, as well as walled-off granulation tissue. Bacterial colonies were also identified in thrombosed spermatic cord vessels, scrotal lymph nodes, lung, and liver. S. enterica subsp. diarizonae serovar 61:k:1,5,(7) was isolated from the affected testis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of infection of the testis and epididymis by Salmonella in rams. This organism must be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of ovine genital infections.

Epididymal and testicular lesions in rams following experimental infection withActinobacillus seminis

AIM

To investigate and assess the epididymal and testicular lesions in rams up to 44 days after inoculation with Actinobacillus seminis via various routes.

METHODS

Forty-four young (18-24 months old) rams were randomly divided into nine test and two control groups (n=4 per group). The test rams were infected by installation, drenching or injection of A. seminis organisms cultured for 24 h in a brain-heart infusion (BHI) broth containing 2.3 x 10(9) cells/ml, via the following nine routes: intra-epididymal (1 ml), intravenous (3 ml), intra-urethral (3 ml), intra-preputial (3 ml), vas deferens (1 ml), intramuscular (3 ml), oral (10 ml), intranasal (3 ml), and intra-conjunctival (3 drops). All test rams were necropsied 9-44 days post-inoculation (p.i.). Control rams were subdivided into in-contact and non-contact groups and necropsied at 45 and 46 days p.i., respectively. Thin tissue sections were examined for histopathology.

RESULTS

Gross lesions were evident only in rams inoculated intra-epididymally. Epididymides on the inoculated side were two to three times larger than those on the un-inoculated side, and the testes attached to the inoculated epididymides were also enlarged. Fibrinopurulent periorchitis and tunica vaginalitis were seen in three rams and atrophy in one. Microscopically, epididymitis was present in 17 (47%) rams, the highest incidence being in the cauda, followed by the caput and the corpus epididymis. Seminiferous tubular degeneration with areas of lymphocytic infiltration were seen in four rams: three inoculated via the cauda epididymis and one via the urethra. No epididymal and/or testicular lesions were seen in rams inoculated via the nasal and conjunctival routes.

CONCLUSIONS

Injection of A. seminis in young rams by all routes except intra-conjunctival and intranasal resulted in epididymitis, predominantly in the cauda epididymis. Development of lesions in the reproductive tract following non-genital routes of inoculation supports earlier suggestions that non-venereal transmission of genital actinobacillosis occurs. This study confirmed the predilection of A. seminis for the epididymis, especially the cauda.

Pathogenicity of different strains of Histophilus somni in the experimental induction of ovine epididymitis

The purpose of this study was to determine any differences in pathogenicity when sheep are experimentally infected with different Histophilus somni isolates: a) 2336 bovine origin strain; b) an isolate from ram orchitis and epididymitis; c) an isolate from the brain of a sheep with neurological signs; d) an isolate from the vagina of a clinically healthy ewe. A total of 20 rams divided in groups of 5 animals each were inoculated in the epididymis with 1 x 10(7) CFU/mL of H. somni; a negative control group of 5 rams was used. All groups inoculated with H. somni showed some epididymitis, but the most pathology was caused by the epididymitis isolate, followed by the vaginal isolate. It was demonstrated that there is a difference in experimental infection capacity among isolates from different origins, as epididymitis occurred and the bacteria was recovered only from groups inoculated with isolates originating from epididymitis and vaginal exudate.

Identification of an immunogenic protein of Actinobacillus seminis that is present in microvesicles

Actinobacillus seminis is a gram-negative bacterium of the Pasteurellaceae family that is involved in ovine epididymitis. Looking for a protein specific to this species, we determined the protein profile of subcellular fractions of A. seminis (American Type Culture Collection number 15768): proteins from the outer membrane (OMPs), inner membrane (IMPs), and cytoplasm (CPs). These profiles provide the first data, to our knowledge, regarding subcellular fractions of A. seminis. In the OMP fraction, we identified a protein with a molecular mass of 75 kDa that proved to be immunogenic and apparently specific for A. seminis. This conclusion was based on the reaction of hyperimmune serum of rabbits inoculated with whole cells of A. seminis that was tested against sonicated complete cells of reference strains and field isolates of Brucella ovis, Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somni. No protein of these bacteria cross-reacted with the 75-kDa protein of A. seminis. Furthermore, when each type of hyperimmune serum was tested against the sonicated cells and each of the subcellular fractions of A. seminis, it did not recognize the A. seminis 75-kDa protein. We also isolated and identified this protein in microvesicles released to the culture supernatant. The results suggest that the 75-kDa protein could be used to establish a diagnostic test specific for ovine epididymitis caused by A. seminis.

Experimental transmission of Actinobacillus seminis infection to rams

Nine groups of four 18- to 24-month-old rams were inoculated with Actinobacillus seminis by the following routes: intraconjunctival, intranasal, oral, intravenous, intramuscular, intraepididymal, vas deferens, intraurethral or intrapreputial. Eight similar rams were left uninoculated as controls. Systemic clinical signs were minimal and were confined primarily to the inoculation sites and the scrotal contents. Mild to severe epididymitis resulted from all the routes of inoculation except intraconjunctival and intranasal. Direct inoculation into the genital tract, especially into the cauda epididymis, was more effective. Intrapreputial and intraurethral inoculation led to ascending urethral infection, and inoculation into the vas deferens resulted primarily in descending infection of the accessory sex glands. A seminis was isolated from 11 of the 36 test rams (30.6 per cent); 26 of the 36 rams, some from each of the test groups except those inoculated intravenously, reacted serologically.

Epididymitis by Brucella ovis: experimental infection in virgin ram lambs

Ten sexually immature rams were experimentally infected with Brucella ovis, to verify the antibody kinetics and its localization in urinary and genital tracts. All animals became positive to the complement fixation test from the 2nd post infection (p.i.) week and reached the maximum titre (1:256) on the 4th p.i. week. Bacteriemia was demonstrated on 3rd, 4th and 5th p.i. weeks. Two animals, respectively slaughtered 11 and 13 weeks after the infection, showed macroscopic and microscopic genital lesions and the etiologic agent was cultured from their urine and genital organs.

Epidemiological observations in a Corriedale flock affected by Brucella ovis

Brucellosis in sheep, caused by Brucella ovis, is primarily a chronic infectious disease of rams with epididymitis as its most characteristic lesion. Six hundred rams from an infected farm were clinically and serologically examined once a year, over a 3-year period. An increase from 2.1% to 6.3% in the prevalence of animals serologically positive to B. ovis occurred over the 3 years. However, the prevalence of rams with lesions in the reproductive tract declined from 14.2% to 6.5% in the third year following one year of strict culling of clinically affected and rams that were serologically positive for B. ovis. Clinical lesions found in the 179 affected rams fell into two main categories: rams with epididymitis and rams with affected lymph nodes. These results suggest that the prevalence of the disease relates mainly to the sexual activity of the animal and not to age in itself. A single cull based on the results of clinical examination and serological test results was unable to decrease the prevalence of B. ovis in an extensive Corriedale sheep flock.

Characterization of an immuno-dominant antigen in Brucella ovis and evaluation of its use in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

A panel of 45 Brucella ovis serologically positive sera were tested in immunoblots against B. ovis outer membrane proteins Omp31 and Omp25, purified by preparative SDS-gel electrophoresis. Forty-three sera reacted with Omp31, while only 11 reacted with Omp25, suggesting that Omp31 is identical to the previously reported immuno-dominant 29-kDa protein. Attempts to purify Omp31 on a larger scale by using procedures such as ion exchange-, reversed phase-, affinity- and gel filtration chromatography suggested that the outer membrane proteins were aggregated with rough lipopolysaccharide. Only denaturing SDS-gel filtration chromatography was able to separate proteins of about 29 kDa from rough lipopolysaccharide but did not separate Omp31 from Omp25 in B. ovis preparations. When used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, this 29-kDa protein preparation was less sensitive and less specific than the routinely used heat-extracted B. ovis antigen. A readily available recombinant E. coli, expressing the gene for Omp31 from Brucella melitensis 16 M, was used to extract and enrich recombinant Omp31 by a temperature-dependent Triton X-114-based technique. When this material was used in immunoblots with the 45 sera from B. ovis-infected sheep and with 10 monoclonal antibodies, raised against B. ovis Omp31, major differences in the antibody reactivity between the recombinant B. melitensis Omp31 and the B. ovis Omp31 were found. Such differences were unexpected because of the known structural and immunological relatedness of outer membrane proteins from various Brucella species. These results indicated that the antibody-response in B. ovis naturally-infected sheep against the immuno-dominant Omp31 was directed against epitopes which were only accessible when the protein was aggregated with rough lipopolysaccharides, or which were formed after aggregation but were not present in the recombinant protein.

Sensitivity and specificity of an ELISA as a screening test for the diagnosis of Brucella ovis in sheep

A hot saline extract of Brucella ovis strain REO 198 at a concentration of 5 micrograms/ml in phosphate buffer pH 7.2 was used to adsorb onto Maxisorb plates and incubated at 37 degrees C during 12 h; unadsorbed excess antigen was washed off thrice with phosphate buffer containing 0.5% Tween 20. As blocking agent 1% skim milk was used. The conjugate used was protein G bound to peroxidase diluted 1:100. Thirty three sheep sera from bacteriologically confirmed infected animals and 39 sheep sera from healthy animals from disease-free zones were used. Sera were diluted 1:200. ELISA's sensitivity was 97% and specificity 84%. The cut-off value was chosen for a high sensitivity (100%) despite some loss of specificity in order to diminish false negative results rendering thus a suitable screening test for sheep epididimitis caused by Brucella ovis.

Venereal shedding of ovine lentivirus in infected rams

OBJECTIVE

To assess shedding of ovine lentivirus (OvLV) in semen of infected rams with or without epididymitis.

DESIGN

Rams 1 and 2 were naturally infected with OvLV. Rams 3-6 were inoculated with OvLV strain 85/ 34. Ram 7 was inoculated with uninfected cell culture supernatant (OvLV-negative control). 14 weeks after OvLV inoculation, rams 1-3, 6, and 7 were inoculated with Brucella ovis into the epididymis. Ram 4 was a natural case of B ovis epididymitis, and ram 5 was left noninoculated (B ovis-negative control). Blood mononuclear cells (BMNC) and semen were collected between 0 and 44 weeks after OvLV inoculation.

ANIMALS

Seven 2- to 3-year-old rams.

PROCEDURE

Infective OvLV in BMNC and semen was determined by virus isolation and subsequent OvLV-DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Bronchoalveolar lavage cells collected after death were used for DNA extraction and PCR amplification.

RESULTS

OvLV was detected in the semen of rams 3 and 6, but only after B ovis inoculation. OvLV was isolated consistently from BMNC of rams 3 and 6, but only occasionally from rams 1, 2, 4, and 5. Leukocytospermia was evident in every ejaculate of all B ovis-infected rams after infection. Semiquantitative PCR determination of OvLV DNA from bronchoalveolar lavage cells revealed the highest OvLV DNA load in rams 3 and 6.

CONCLUSIONS

Leukocytospermia and a high virus load in infected animals are important factors that determine shedding of OvLV in semen.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Dissemination of OvLV through contaminated semen could have important implications in the epidemiology and control of this infection.

Granulomatous epididymitis related to Rhodotorula glutinis infection in a dog

A 4-year-old, male Great Dane dog developed severe swelling of the scrotum on 9 December 1991, and the testes and epididymides were removed surgically on 12 December 1992. The cut surface of the epididymides consisted of hard connective tissue and several small abcesses with slight hemorrhage. Histopathologically, the seminiferous tubules in the testes had only a few spermatogenic cells, but Sertoli cells were well preserved. Both epididymides consisted entirely of a proliferation of fibrous connective tissue, and only a few ducts deferens containing cell debris, neutrophils, and macrophages in the lumina were present. In all lesions of the epididymides, the macrophages contained periodic acid-Schiff- and Grocott's silver-positive round granules, 5-8 microns in diameter. Microbiologically, smooth salmon-pink colonies consisting of ovoidal yeast, about 10 microns in diameter, were isolated from the samples of epididymides but not from those of the testes. The isolated yeast had microbiological characteristics of Rhodotorula glutinis. From these observations, we diagnosed the present case as granulomatous epididymitis due to Rhodotorula infection.

Outer-membrane protein- and rough lipopolysaccharide-specific monoclonal antibodies protect mice against Brucella ovis

Brucella ovis, a naturally virulent rough Brucella species, is the aetiological agent of ram epididymitis. The identification of protective antigens is necessary to obtain a safe, specific subcellular vaccine. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed at both brucella outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) and rough lipopolysaccharide (R-LPS) in a mouse protection test were used to identify potential targets for humoral immunity. Mixtures of MAbs directed at the 16.5-, 25-27-, 31-34- and 36-38-kDa OMPs conferred significant protection 7 days after challenge with reference strain B. ovis 63/290 compared with controls receiving either saline or an anti-brucella O-polysaccharide MAb. Furthermore, an anti-R-LPS MAb tested alone conferred protection at a level comparable with that obtained with the mixture of anti-OMP MAbs. The combination of protective OMP MAbs with the anti-R-LPS MAb was also strongly protective. One combination of OMP MAbs, which bound intensely to B. ovis in vitro, was ineffective. These results indicate that B. ovis OMPs and R-LPS are targets for protective antibodies and that they can be regarded as candidates for ram epididymitis subcellular vaccines.

Intratubular spermatic granulomas of the canine efferent ductules

Spermatic granulomas are inflammatory lesions that occur in the efferent ductule and epididymis of humans, goats, rats, and bulls. Three clinically normal dogs from a control group had histologic lesions of the initial segment of the caput epididymis consisting of intratubular spermatic granulomas. The granulomas were located within the efferent ductules, and the inflammatory response consisted primarily of aggregates of spermiophagic macrophages in the ductules. Sperm stasis of the affected ductules was evident by the dilation and accumulation of large numbers of spermatozoa in adjacent cross-sections of efferent ductules. Blind-ending efferent ductules were demonstrated by serially sectioning the initial segment of the epididymis. The intratubular granulomas did not completely occlude the outflow tract because spermatozoa were present in the cauda epididymis. While spermatic granulomas can be induced by trauma, infection, or toxins, spontaneous granulomas due to blind-ending ductules should be considered as a differential. Clinical history, location of the granuloma, and serial sectioning can help determine the most likely etiology in early cases.

Diagnosis of Brucella ovis infection of rams with an ELISA using protein G as conjugate

The complement fixation and gel diffusion tests for Brucella ovis ram epididymitis were compared with an indirect ELISA using antigens from B ovis extracted in hot saline, rough B ovis lipopolysaccharide or a cytosolic fraction of rough B melitensis 115, and commercial anti-IgG (heavy and light chain specificity) or protein G conjugates. None of the antigens and conjugates used in the ELISA gave better results in terms of sensitivity and specificity than the complement fixation or the gel diffusion tests with the sera of 41 rams naturally infected with B ovis, 17 rams inoculated conjunctivally with B ovis and 53 Brucella-free rams. The protein G conjugate significantly reduced the background reactivity of the sera from the Brucella-free rams but did not improve the sensitivity of the ELISA with the anti-IgG conjugate.

Identification and characterization of immunodominant antigens during the course of infection with Brucella ovis

The seroresponse against Brucella ovis of 8 intrapreputially and 6 intravenously infected rams and 9 ewes infected through mating was analyzed by electrophoretic immunoblotting. Additionally, 87 sera from chronically infected rams that were shedding B. ovis in their semen, 226 sera from rams belonging to infected flocks, and 324 sera from false-positive complement fixation test (CFT) reactors were examined. In all infected animals, antibody reactivity was predominantly found against 5 B. ovis components of 8-12, 17, 19, 29, and 63 kD, of which the 29-kD antigen was most dominant in the seroresponse. Antibodies to the 29-kD component were present in 93-100% of the infected sheep in each infected group, whereas the frequency of antibodies to the 4 other components varied considerably among and within the different groups. No reactivity against the 29-kD antigen was found in the false-positive CFT reactors. By using monoclonal antibodies against known bacterial macromolecules, the immunodominant antigens were identified as rough lipopolysaccharide (8-12 kD), outer membrane proteins (17, 19, 29 kD), and a heat-shock protein (63 kD).

Epididymal swelling attributable to generalized lymphosarcoma in a stallion

Aspermia was diagnosed in a 12-year-old Thoroughbred stallion with generalized lymphosarcoma. Invasion of the epididymus by neoplastic cells caused thickening and enlargement of both epididymes. The testes were not affected. The nodular ultrasonographic architecture was similar to that in previously reported cases of infectious epididymitis.

Meningoencephalitis and other conditions associated with Histophilus ovis infection in sheep

Histophilus ovis was isolated from 29 sheep in 20 flocks and 2 artificial insemination (AI) centres in southern New South Wales from 1984 to 1990. The clinical and pathological findings were consistent with previous reports and included polyarthritis (7 flocks), epididymo-orchitis (5), meningoencephalitis (3), pneumonia (3), septicaemia (2), mastitis (1) and metritis (1). Six sheep had meningoencephalitis, a syndrome not previously associated with H ovis infection in sheep, which was similar pathologically to thromboembolic meningoencephalitis in cattle, caused by the related organism, Haemophilus somnus. H ovis was isolated from the semen of 12-month-old rams in a flock that had polyarthritis due to H ovis, in 4-month-old ram lambs and from the uterus of a ewe in a flock that had sporadic cases of H ovis septicaemia.

[Comparative study of culture media for isolating Brucella ovis]

For the isolation of Brucella ovis, modified Thayer-Martin medium with the addition of 0.01 micrograms/ml of trimethoprim and 100 IU of nystatin (TMM) was compared with Skirrow Agar (SK). Using viable counting technique, 11 strains were evaluated and the results were compared with those using Columbia Base Agar with bovine blood 7% (CBA). Ninety-four semen samples of 33 rams from a flock with infection antecedents were cultured on the same media. Growth of Brucella ovis strains was similar in all three media with the exception of one strain that did not grow on TMM. The results of semen cultures were the same for TMM and SK media and B. ovis was isolated from 27% of the samples. The results indicate that TMM and SK media are excellent for the isolation of B. ovis from semen of rams in field conditions.

Ultrasonographic detection of chronic epididymitis in a stallion

Clinical signs of chronic epididymitis in a stallion included recurrent signs of inguinal pain--retraction of the right testis into the inguinal area, resentment of palpation of the right testis, and right-sided scrotal swelling. The tail of the right epididymis was firm and seemed to be adhered to the testis. The tail of the left epididymis felt firmer than normal. Ultrasonographically, the diameter of the head of the epididymis was considered larger than normal, was hyperechoic in relation to the right testis, and had an irregular border. Several bright 1- to 5-mm-diameter echogenic areas that alternated with less echogenic areas were seen in the head of the right epididymis. Ultrasonographic findings were interpreted as fibrosis attributable to chronic inflammation. Unilateral castration (right-sided) was performed, but the prognosis was guarded because of presumed involvement of the left epididymis.

Serological responses of rams to a Brucella ovis-vitamin E adjuvant vaccine

Rams which were vaccinated at 6-8 months of age with a water-in-oil Brucella ovis-vitamin E adjuvant vaccine had significantly higher serum antibody levels than rams vaccinated with a commercial B. ovis bacterin or B. melitensis Rev 1. The adjuvant vaccine did not cause abscesses at the site of injection as some water-in-oil emulsions do. Two years after vaccination, the vitamin E adjuvant-vaccinated rams had higher antibody level than the other groups. This was most likely due to a secondary response to naturally occurring infection with B. ovis.

Enterocystoplasty with cystectomy and subtotal intracapsular prostatectomy in the male dog

Urinary diversion by implantation of the ureters into an isolated segment of jejunum was evaluated in eight clinically normal male dogs. Total cystectomy and subtotal intracapsular prostatectomy were performed, and the intestinal loop was sutured to the prostatic remnant. General health, renal function, acid-base balance, urinary tract infection, and urinary continence were monitored during observation periods of 4 to 30 weeks. All dogs survived the observation period and seven were in excellent general health at the time of euthanasia. Six of the 16 ureterointestinal anastomoses were complicated by complete ureteral obstruction. Absorption of urea from the intestinal loop was speculated as the reason for significant increases in serum urea nitrogen concentrations in all of the dogs. Serum creatinine concentrations generally remained within the normal range, but were significantly increased from preoperative baseline values by week 30. There was dilation of 12 renal pelves and ureters in seven dogs. Urine bacterial cultures were positive in six dogs, but histologic evidence of pyelonephritis was present in only five kidneys. Ejaculation was not affected by the procedure, but epididymitis was present in five dogs. The dogs could urinate consciously and did not dribble urine continuously; however, they urinated hourly. While the procedure was well tolerated by the dogs, the frequency of urination makes this technique unacceptable for most household pets.

Epididymitis in rams and lambs

This article reviews lamb epididymitis and epididymitis caused by Brucella ovis. Pathogenesis, occurrence, signs and lesions, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment are discussed.

Bacterial epididymitis in two stallions

Two stallions had unilateral bacterial epididymitis attributable to S zooepidemicus infection. Diagnosis was based on bacterial isolation, WBC in the semen, higher than normal blood fibrinogen concentration, and leukocytosis with regenerative left shift. One horse had high seminal pH. Ultrasonography of the involved epididymides revealed changes consistent with the appearance of abnormal accumulation of exudate in the tail of the epididymis. Treatment included unilateral orchiectomy and antibiotic administration. In stallion 1, the infection persisted despite treatment. Treatment result was not available for stallion 2.

Methods for control of lamb epididymitis in large purebred flocks

An autogenous, multivalent, adjuvanted bacterin for epididymitis was tested in flocks of 700 to 800 Suffolk X white-faced lambs. Long-term feeding of low dosages of antibiotics also was tested in the Suffolk flock. Both methods appeared to reduce the incidence of the disease. The incidence of clinical epididymitis and the number of positive culture results from clinically affected rams were significantly reduced.

Brucella ovis excretion in semen of seronegative, clinically normal breeding rams

A commercial flock of Suffolk and Suffolk-cross breeding rams was monitored for 5 years in an effort to control epididymitis caused by Brucella ovis. Scrotal palpation, semen evaluations, and vaccination against B ovis were used the first 3 years. Serologic evaluation (complement fixation and ELISA) was added the fourth year, and bacteriologic culturing was added to the program the fifth year. Semen culturing in the fifth year revealed 9 (37.5%) of 24 rams were actively excreting B ovis; 6 of those 9 rams were seronegative. Neither semen quality nor the presence of WBC in the semen were dependable criteria to detect these seronegative carriers. In spite of the high percentage of B ovis excretors, few clinical signs of epididymitis were detected in the flock during the last 3 years of the study. It was hypothesized that vaccination protected rams against the clinical disease but not the carrier state. The importance of culturing semen for assessment of a control program was emphasized.

Cultural and biochemical characterization of Actinobacillus and Actinobacillus-like species from ram lambs with epididymitis

Cellular, colonial, cultural, and biochemical characteristics of 25 field strains of gram-negative pleomorphic bacilli from rams with epididymitis were compared with Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strain 29522 and Actinobacillus seminis ATCC strain 15768. Three field strains were identified as A. actinomycetemcomitans, 15 as A. seminis, and 2 as Haemophilus agni; however, 5 strains (3 in group A and 2 in group B) were not identified as species in the genera Actinobacillus, Haemophilus, or Pasteurella based on the taxonomic criteria in Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology. The 5 Actinobacillus-like organisms in groups A and B were predominantly gram-negative coccobacilli and exhibited less pleomorphism than the 2 Actinobacillus species. The colonial morphologies of groups A and B were similar to the 2 Actinobacillus species but were smaller in diameter and had a pale yellow color. Groups A and B, like the actinobacilli, were facultative anaerobic and capnophilic, did not grow on MacConkey agar, and were catalase-positive and oxidase-positive. Group A reduced nitrate but group B did not. The A. seminis strains utilized ornithine, and group A utilized arginine; but group B did not utilize either ornithine or arginine. All strains failed to utilize lysine or tryptophane. All strains produced acid but no gas from glucose, and the utilization of other carbohydrates varied markedly both between and within the 5 groups of bacteria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparison and partial characterization of the protein profiles and outer membrane antigens of Actinobacillus species isolated from ram lambs with epididymitis

Three monoclonal antibodies (LG17, LG30, LG33) were used in the indirect fluorescent antibody test, the ELISA, and the immunoelectrotransfer blot technique to identify group-specific and strain-specific epitopes on the outer membranes of Actinobacillus seminis, A actinomycetemcomitans, and 17 field isolates of Actinobacillus spp. The field isolates had been obtained by bacteriologic culture of specimens from ram lambs with epididymitis. Only antibody LG33 consistently had specificity for an outer membrane epitope shared by most of the bacterial isolates tested. Staining of polyacrylamide gels with periodic acid-Schiff reagent, Sudan black B, and Coomassie brilliant blue R250 indicated that target antigens for antibodies LG17 and LG33 contained carbohydrate and lipoprotein components, respectively. The chemical composition of the LG30 target antigen was not determined because of its instability after exposure to sodium dodecyl sulfate. Discontinuous-gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate and spectrophotometric scans of the gels were used to analyze n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside protein extracts from A seminis, A actinomycetemcomitans, and 13 representative field isolates of Actinobacillus spp. Bacterial isolates could be grouped according to their protein profiles. The first group consisted of A seminis, A actinomycetemcomitans, and 7 field isolates of Actinobacillus spp, all of which shared common protein bands with molecular masses of approximately 94 kilodaltons (kD), 64 kD, 60 kD, 52 kD, 44 kD, and 26 kD. The second group was composed of 6 field isolates, each with unique protein profiles; isolates had relatively few protein bands in common. These data suggested that members of the genus Actinobacillus cultured from ram lambs with epididymitis probably include a number of various strains.

Serodiagnosis of Histophilus ovis-associated epididymitis in rams

An ELISA for the detection of antibodies to Histophilus ovis was used to evaluate the association of epididymal lesions in rams with serologic response to His ovis. Comparison of ELISA results for His ovis in groups of rams with epididymal lesions with ELISA results of clinically normal rams (control group) revealed a significant difference (P less than 0.01) between the control group and those rams from which His ovis was isolated. A significant difference (P less than 0.01) was noticed between the control group and rams with lesions from which an organism other than His ovis or Brucella ovis was isolated. Additionally, a significant difference (P less than 0.01) was noticed in ELISA results between the control group and affected rams from which no organism was recovered and in which the epididymal lesion was not limited to the head of the epididymis. A difference was not detected in the His ovis ELISA results between control rams and rams with lesions associated with a B ovis infection or rams from which no organism was recovered and in which the epididymal lesion was limited to the head of the epididymis. The serologic findings in our study suggest that His ovis is more important in the development of epididymitis in rams than culture results alone would indicate.

Immunization with Brucella melitensis Rev 1 against Brucella ovis infection of rams

The efficacy of Brucella Melitensis Rev 1 vaccine (Rev 1) for the prophylaxis of Brucella ovis ram epididymitis was evaluated. Twenty-nine 3-month-old rams were vaccinated with 2 X 10(9) Rev 1 and 14 were revaccinated with 5 X 10(8) at 14 months of age. Six rams remained unvaccinated as a control group. All rams were challenged with 5 X 10(8) B. ovis at 21 months of age. Before being slaughtered 8 weeks later, only one vaccinated ram developed epididymitis while four of the six control rams developed testicular alterations. Genital and selected extragenital organs and lymph nodes were removed at slaughter and inoculated on selective media. B. ovis was isolated from 26.6% of the vaccinated rams, 21.4% of the revaccinated rams and 100% of control rams. Portions of epididymis, testes and vesicular glands were also used for pathological studies. More severe lesions were observed in control rams than in vaccinated ones. In conclusion, these results show that vaccination of young lambs, followed or not by revaccination, is a suitable method for the prophylaxis of B. ovis infection of rams.

Brucella suis biotype 1 infection in a dog

Brucella suis biotype 1 was isolated from the semen of a dog with hindlimb weakness and a large, firm, left epididymis. A semen sample was oligospermic, with many neutrophils, the numbers of which decreased in serial sampling. A card agglutination test for B abortus and a rapid slide agglutination test for B canis were positive. The modified 2-mercaptoethanol slide agglutination test for B canis and the agar gel immunodiffusion test, using B canis cell wall antigen, were negative. At necropsy, chronic granulomatous inflammation was found in, and B suis biotype 1 was isolated from, the left epididymis and prostate gland.

Etiologic significance of bacterial isolates from rams with palpable epididymitis

Identified and partly identified bacterial isolates were obtained from 48 rams of various breeds that had unilateral or bilateral epididymitis. Most of the animals were approximately 1 year of age; a few were older. Brucella ovis, Actinobacillus spp, Corynebacterium spp, Haemophilus spp, Acinetobacter spp, Escherichia coli, Moraxella spp, Staphylococcus spp, Pasteurella spp, Streptococcus spp, and Chlamydia psittaci were isolated. A vaccine strain of B ovis, isolated species of bacteria, and mixtures of isolates of tissue homogenates containing all isolates except B ovis and C psittaci were inoculated via the mucous membranes of the eyes, nares, and prepuce. Palpable epididymitis was not produced by the inoculations. The vaccine strain of B ovis induced complement-fixation reaction in 11 of 20 rams.

Comparison of lipopolysaccharide and outer membrane protein-lipopolysaccharide extracts in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of Brucella ovis infection

Brucella ovis hot saline extracts and petroleum ether-chloroform-phenol lipopolysaccharide were compared in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of B. ovis ram epididymitis. Hot saline extracts detected greater numbers of infected rams. Chemical characterization of the antigens showed that, although both contained lipopolysaccharide, hot saline extracts also contained outer membrane proteins. These proteins were active as antigens in Western blot tests with sera of infected rams, and therefore they explained the better diagnostic results obtained with hot saline extracts. However, compared with lipopolysaccharide, hot saline extracts showed a higher degree of cross-reactivity with sera from smooth B. melitensis-infected animals. This observation might be explained by the presence of B. ovis outer membrane proteins in hot saline extracts which lack the specificity necessary for serological identification of the Brucella species present.

Detection of antibody in rams with contagious epididymitis, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, using whole-cell and sonicated antigens prepared from Brucella ovis, Actinobacillus seminis, and Actinobacillus seminis-like cultures isolated from rams in Wyoming, was able to detect antibody to these antigens in rams with epididymitis. The whole-cell antigens used in this procedure gave lower background values, compared with those of the sonicated antigens. The procedure was able to detect antibody in rams before clinical signs of epididymitis became apparent.