Effects of bovine necrotic vulvovaginitis on productivity in a dairy herd in Israel

Bovine necrotic vulvovaginitis (BNVV) is characterized by the development of a necrotic vulvovaginal lesion, almost exclusively in post-parturient first-lactation cows, associated with Porphyromonas levii. The scope of this survey was to evaluate the impact of BNVV on herd productivity as a means to rationally evaluate the resources that should be allocated in dealing with the syndrome. During an outbreak of BNVV in a dairy herd, following the introduction of a large number of cows from another farm, the impact of the animals' origin (local or transferred) and BNVV (positive or negative) upon involuntary culling rate, milk yield and days between pregnancies were assessed. The results indicated that the number of days between pregnancies was significantly higher in first-lactation cows with BNVV but was not influenced by the other independent variables. None of the other variables included in this survey had any effect on the involuntary culling rate and milk yield.

Sample-based assessment of the microbial etiology of bovine necrotic vulvovaginitis

A semiquantitative evaluation of potential bacterial pathogens was correlated to the severity of lesions during an outbreak of bovine necrotic vulvovaginitis (BNVV) on an Israeli dairy herd. Bacteriologic examination of 287 vaginal swabs from 104 post-calving heifers showed a highly significant correlation between Porphyromonas levii colony forming unit numbers and the clinical scores of the lesions, when assessed by an ordinal regression statistical model. No such correlation was found for the other bacteria included in the study. Nineteen samples taken for virological examinations resulted negative for bovine herpes viruses 1, 2, 4 and 5. Thus the results of this study substantiate the essential role of P. levii in the etiology of BNVV and indicate that BHV4 is not required as a predisposing factor to the syndrome.

Bovine necrotic vulvovaginitis associated with Porphyromonas levii

An outbreak of bovine necrotic vulvovaginitis associated with Porphyromonas levii, an emerging animal and human pathogen, affected 32 cows on a dairy farm in the northeast of Israel. Five animals had to be culled. This report appears to be the first that associates P. levii with bovine necrotic vulvovagnitis.

Isolation of Corynebacterium pilosum and Actinomyces pyogenes from cystitis and vulvovaginitis infection in a 2-month-old female calf

Cystitis and vulvovaginitits, due to Corynebacterium pilosum and Actinomyces pyogenes infection in a 2-month-old female calf, is described. The prominent clinical signs were urinary incontinence, adherence of triple phosphate crystals to the vulvar hair and ulceration on the vulva, the ventral side of the tail skin and the perineum. Only a mild inflammation of the bladder mucosa and submucosa was seen on histological examination.

Contagious agalactia of small ruminants: current knowledge concerning epidemiology, diagnosis and control

Contagious agalactia of small ruminants is a syndrome which principally affects the mammary glands, joints and eyes. The main causal agents are Mycoplasma agalactiae in sheep, and M. agalactiae, M. mycoides subsp. mycoides large colony type and M. capricolum subsp. capricolum in goats. In addition, M. putrefaciens can produce a similar clinical picture, particularly in goats. Contagious agalactia occurs on all five continents and is often enzootic. The evolution of the infection tends to be chronic in affected animals and herds. Symptomless shedding of mycoplasmas, mainly in the milk, may persist for a long time. These insidious infections, associated with carriage in the ears of healthy animals, are difficult to diagnose and to control. The main mode of transmission between flocks is related to the sale of carrier animals and contact during transhumance, whereas transmission within a flock occurs through contact, suckling and milking. This review discusses the clinical features, epidemiology, treatment, prevention and control of the disease.

Characterisation of mycoplasmas isolated from genital tract infections of sheep in Nigeria

Four mycoplasma-like organisms isolated from ewes with mucopurulent vaginal discharge and swollen vulva were characterised. Biochemical tests showed three of the isolates to be negative for glucose fermentation and arginine hydrolysis, while the remaining isolate was negative for glucose fermentation but hydrolysed arginine. Serological identification using the growth inhibition, growth precipitation and indirect immunofluorescence tests indicated the three similar isolates as Mycoplasma bovigenitalium and the other isolate as Mycoplasma arginini. There are apparently no previous reports of the isolation of these organisms from the genital tract of sheep in Nigeria.

Immune response of heifers to vaginal submucosal or subcutaneous vaccination and intravaginal challenge with Ureaplasma diversum

Twenty beef heifers were randomly assigned to five equal groups and vaccinated: Group 1--in vaginal submucosa (VM) with Ureaplasma diversum ultrasonicated whole cells (WC) in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA); Group 2--in VM with U. diversum cell membranes (CM) in CFA; Group 3--subcutaneously (SC) with CM in CFA; Group 4--in VM with CM alone; and Group 5--in VM with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) in CFA. A second vaccination with the same antigens in incomplete Freund's adjuvant was given after four weeks, and three weeks later, all heifers were challenged intravaginally with 3.6 x 10(7) colony-forming units (CFU) of U. diversum strain 2312. Immunoglobulins that reacted with U. diversum were measured in serum and cervicovaginal mucus (CVM) by an enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay. In groups 1 and 2, vaccination by the VM route with WC or CM antigens, stimulated high levels of U. diversum-reactive IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies in serum as well as CVM, but a low IgA response only in CVM. In group 4, VM vaccination with CM (no adjuvant) elicited a minimal IgG1 and IgG2 response in serum and CVM. In group 3, SC vaccination with CM antigen stimulated high IgG1 and IgG2 reactivity in both serum and CVM, but no IgA reactivity. Very little IgM reactivity was detected in the four vaccinated groups. Intravaginal challenge resulted in characteristic granular vulvitis in all vaccinated and control heifers, with all animals remaining culture-positive for the 35 day observation period. The infection stimulated a marked increase in the specific IgA response in CVM of the three groups vaccinated with either, adjuvanted antigen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The identification of Mycoplasma mycoides mycoides LC as the aetiological agent of balanoposthitis and vulvovaginitis in sheep in South Africa

Clinical ulcerative balanoposthitis and vulvovaginitis was experimentally reproduced in 14 sheep infected with a Mycoplasma mycoides mycoides LC field strain, isolated from the Straussheim Dorper stud. The study encompassed a series of field observations, a therapeutic trial and experimental investigations. A wide range of bacteria and various mycoplasma spp., but no viruses, were isolated from a large number of infected animals.

Round table on infectious bovine rhinotracheitis/infectious pustular vulvovaginitis virus infection diagnosis and control

The current situation of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis/infectious pustular vulvovaginitis infection in various European countries is reviewed. Whilst some have a high serological prevalence and use live virus vaccines to control the disease, others have a low prevalence and two countries (Denmark and Switzerland) have national eradication schemes which are almost complete. Serology remains important for diagnosis although other tests such as delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity may have a role to play. New tests such as polymerase chain reaction may find increasing application where high sensitivity is required, such as the detection of virus in semen.

Culture-positive persistence and serum agglutinating antibody response after intrauterine inoculation of Haemophilus somnus in virgin heifers

Viable Haemophilus somnus of reproductive tract origin (OSU-1167) was inoculated transcervically into the uterus of 6 virgin heifers. Five heifers were sham-inoculated (intrauterine) with sterile mycoplasmal medium and served as controls. After inoculation and observation, all heifers had nasal and vaginal vestibular swab specimens and serum obtained periodically for 44 days. Signs of systemic illness were not detected. On the day after inoculation, all inoculated heifers had signs of vulvovaginitis, whereas none of the control heifers had similar signs (P less than 0.002). Haemophilus somnus was not isolated from any nasal or vaginal vestibular swab specimens obtained before inoculation or from any nasal swab specimens obtained after inoculation. During the 44 days after inoculation, H somnus was isolated from 25 of 54 vestibular specimens obtained from inoculated heifers and from 3 of 45 specimens obtained from controls (P less than 0.02). Vulvovaginal lesions were associated with vestibular isolation of H somnus in 23 of 25 (92%) such isolations from inoculated heifers; lesions were never associated with concurrent isolation of H somnus in controls. All heifers had H somnus microagglutination test (MAT) titer less than or equal to 256 against a commercially prepared H somnus antigen at the beginning of the study. Considered as groups, neither inoculated nor control heifers achieved fourfold increases in MAT titer during the 44 days after inoculation. When compared by day of sample collection, inoculated heifers did have significantly (P less than 0.04) lower geometric mean titer at 7 days after inoculation than did control heifers when tested by use of a commercially prepared antigen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of a bovine herpesvirus-1 isolate on reproductive function in heifers: classification as a type-2 (infectious pustular vulvovaginitis) virus by restriction endonuclease analysis of viral DNA

A bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) isolate (FI) from an aborted fetus was used to infect 9 heifers at various stages of gestation. Two heifers were inoculated IV on postbreeding day (PBD) 1, 7, or 14, and 3 heifers were inoculated in the sixth month of pregnancy. Plasma progesterone assays were used to monitor corpus luteum function in heifers inoculated during early pregnancy. Low progesterone values and infertility were seen in the 2 heifers inoculated on PBD 1. Luteal function remained normal in heifers inoculated on PBD 7 or 14. These 4 heifers inoculated on PBD 7 or 14 carried their fetuses to term, and their calves were free of BHV-1 infection at birth. Three heifers inoculated during the sixth month of pregnancy also carried their fetuses to term. Two calves were born alive, and BHV-1 was not isolated from nasal swab samples of either calf; the third calf was stillborn. Virus was not isolated from the stillborn calf's tissues, but BHV-1 was isolated from the placenta. Lesions were not detected in several tissues examined by light microscopy, and BHV-1 antigen was not detected by immunohistochemical examination of paraffin sections. Restriction endonuclease analysis of viral DNA was used to compare the FI virus to other BHV-1 isolates (Colorado-1, Iowa, and K22). On the basis of restriction endonuclease analysis, the FI isolate should be classified as a type-2 (infectious pustular vulvovaginitis) virus, specifically subtype a.

Affinity of microorganisms of the genus ureaplasma to the reproductive organs of cattle

The purpose of this work was to define more precisely the role of Ureaplasma organisms in the aetiology of granular vulvovaginitis and balanoposthitis (GVVBP) of cattle. To contribute to this question the frequency and degree of infection with Ureaplasmas in two main groups of cattle was taken into account: (a) in cattle with symptoms of the mentioned disease, (b) in cattle without clinical symptoms. The samples of semen from 301 sires with symptoms of GVVBP and from 43 healthy sires as also vaginal mucus swabs from 96 cows with GVVBP and from 40 cows mated by the sire infected with Ureaplasma organisms and from 50 cows inseminated with semen which contained Ureaplasma organisms were taken for bacteriological examinations. The control group in relation to the above mentioned cows constituted of 22 heifers free from symptoms of GVVBP and neither inseminated nor mated naturally. It has been shown that on an average 78.1% of sires with pathological changes in the mucosa of the penis or prepuce and only 25.6% of healthy sires were infected with Ureaplasma organisms. The concentration of Ureaplasma organisms was also significantly higher in material obtained from sires with symptoms of the disease than in that from healthy animals. Ureaplasma organisms were demonstrated more frequently (72.7%) in cows with GVVBP than in cows without these symptoms (13.3%). Similarly, as in the material obtained from sires, in the material taken from cows with symptoms of the disease the concentration of Ureaplasma organisms was significantly higher than that in the material originating from the healthy cows. The obtained findings may indicate that Ureaplasma organisms play a role in the aetiology of GVVBP.

Comparative study of two strains of Bovid herpesvirus-4

Two strains of Bovid herpesvirus-4 (BHV-4), i.e. the prototype strain DN-599, obtained from a steer suffering of a respiratory disease, and the strain 85/BH 16TV, originated from a cow with vulvovaginitis, were compared in studies which included restriction endonuclease analysis, experimental infection and reciprocal cross protection tests. The restriction endonuclease analysis revealed that the resultant DNA patterns of the isolates were generally similar with only a difference in one fragment. The two strains were capable of causing respiratory tract infection in calves, even if they displayed a different level of virulence: the strain 85/BH 16TV being the most virulent while the strain DN-599 the least. The two viral strains were mutually protective in that the calves were generally found to be refractory to challenge inoculation with either the homologous or the heterologous virus. Finally, both viral strains failed to evoke the production of neutralizing antibody in the experimental calves.

Vulvovaginitis of goats due to a herpesvirus

Two concurrent outbreaks of genital disease in goats were associated with infection by a herpesvirus that was isolated from vulval and vaginal lesions of affected does. Serum neutralising antibody to the virus was present both in goats with the clinical disease and some unaffected goats. Of 19 goat herds examined only 4 had serum neutralising antibody positive goats with low (5%) to high (60%) incidence of infection. The virus isolate was characterised as a herpesvirus on its physico-chemical and morphological features. It contained DNA and was inactivated at low pH and by treatment with lipid solvents and trypsin. The virus particles were icosahedral, consisting of a nucleocapsid surrounded by an envelope membrane and measured approximately 150 nm in diameter. The virus was serologically related to a New Zealand isolate of caprine herpesvirus (NZ-CpHV), associated with similar genital disease, and was distinct from bovine herpes virus-1 (BHV-1) showing a one way neutralisation pattern.

Bovine herpesvirus 1: differentiation of IBR- and IPV-viruses and identification and functional role of their major immunogenic components

Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Infectious Pustular Vulvovaginitis (IPV) virus strains of Bovine Herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) can be differentiated by restriction endonuclease digestion of their DNAs. Antigens and polypeptide patterns of isolates of these different clinical entities are almost identical. Page analysis of immunoprecipitates revealed three major immunogenic components in BHV-1 infected cells. These are glycoproteins with apparent molecular weights of 93,000 (GP93), 74,000 (GP74) and 69,000 daltons (GP69), respectively. Bovine convalescent sera and antisera, which are directed against individual precipitates derived from crossed immunoelectrophoresis, contain antibodies reacting with one or more of these glycoproteins. The experiments with these antisera demonstrate that GP74 and possibly GP93, both structural components of the BHV-1 virion, induce neutralizing antibodies, whereas GP69, a non-structural protein, does not.

The DNA of an IPV strain of bovid herpesvirus 1 in sacral ganglia during latency after intravaginal infection

Two calves were inoculated intravaginally with a strain of bovid herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1, IBR/IPV) isolated from a cow with infectious pustular vulvovaginitis (IPV). The animals were killed during a latent stage of infection as characterized by seroconversion, absence of virus shedding and recrudescence of virus shedding after dexamethasone treatment. IPV-virus DNA was detected in 9 out of 20 sacral ganglia of the 2 calves. Of the sections, 7.2% (n = 250) contained 1 cell with IPV-virus DNA, which was restricted to the nucleus of neurons. In agreement with findings on herpes simplex virus infections, the viral DNA of BHV-1 is harbored in the local sensory ganglia. Virological and serological implications of the latent IPV infection are discussed.

Ureaplasma serotypes associated with the bovine urogenital tract

One hundred and thirty-one ureaplasma isolates were tested using the immunoperoxidase system. Thirty-four were from semen, 34 from preputial washes of normal bulls and 63 were from vaginal swabs from herds experiencing infertility problems and/or vulvovaginitis. The serotypes from semen were T44 (12.1%), Bu2 (11.2%), D48 (2.8%), T315 (0.9%) and T288 (0.9%). Those from preputial washes were T44 (9.3%), Bu2 (8.4%), T288 (7.5%), D48 (0.9%) and T95 (0.9%). From vaginal swabs the serotypes were D48 (22.4%), Bu2 (10.3%), T45 (4.7%), T288 (3.8%) and T315 (1.9%).

Infertility in heifers caused by pathogenic strain of Mycoplasma bovigenitalium

Mycoplasma bovigenitalium (M. bovigenitalium, strain AL) was inoculated by insemination during estrous into the uterus or the cervix of 12 heifers. The inoculum consisted of a mixture of M. bovigenitalium (strain AL) and diluted semen taken from a highly fertile bull free of mycoplasma infection. Mycoplasma organisms were recovered 3 days postinoculation (PI) from the vaginal mucous of eight of 12 inoculated heifers, and at weekly intervals thereafter until the time of necropsy. All inoculated heifers had granular vulvovaginitis; some also had mucopurulent vaginal discharges. Six of the 12 infected heifers were inseminated more than once, yet none became pregnant. Macroscopic changes observed at necropsy in the genital tracts, in addition to granular vulvovaginitis, consisted of mucopurulent discharges emananting from the uterus, cervix, and vagina. All ovaries had corpora lutea. Mycoplasmas were recovered at necropsy from eight of the 12 heifers. Isolations were made from the vaginal wall, cervix, uterus, right and left oviducts, and the ovaries. All recovered mycoplasms were identified as M. bovigenitalium. It was concluded that M. bovigenitalium (strain AL) can cause inflammatory changes and infertility in heifers.

Experimental infection of rabbits with bovine herpesvirus-4: acute and persistent infection

A strain of bovine herpesvirus-4 (BHV-4) isolated from bovine cases of mammary pustular dermatitis was used for experimental infection of rabbits. The strain is serologically indistinguishable from the group prototype Movar 33/63 and from the American isolate DN599. Groups of rabbits were inoculated by various routes. Intravaginal and conjunctival inoculations resulted in vulvovaginitis and conjunctivitis, respectively, and in shedding of virus. The rabbits seroconverted for the virus, with high titers of antibodies (indirect fluorescent antibody test) that persisted throughout the experiment. Treatment with dexamethasone, beyond the acute infection, did not produce recrudescence of disease or shedding of the virus. Rabbits were killed at various times, from 3 to 6 months post-infection, and the virus was recovered from explant cultures of spleen and by cocultivation of spleen cells with bovine lung cells. These results demonstrate the usefulness of the rabbit as a model for studying the pathogenesis of BHV-4 infection in cattle.

Field outbreaks of hyperoestrogenism (vulvo-vaginitis) in pigs consuming maize infected by Fusarium graminearum and contaminated with zearalenone

During the spring and summer of 1979 field outbreaks of porcine hyperoestrogenism characterized by swelling and reddening of the vulva and teats in prepubertal gilts and enlargement of the mammae in young males occurred in the mistbelt of the Natal Midlands. On a farm in the Ixopo district, pigs were fed a mixed ratio containing home-grown yellow maize stored on the cob in a crib and all the young pigs with a mass of 25-85 kg (=a total of 350) were affected. Maize ears from the crib had a high percentage (91%) of kernels infected by Fusarium graminearum and contained 10 mg/kg of zearalenone. The mixed ration contained 0,95 mg/kg zearalenone. After dilution of the contaminated maize with good quality white maize, a dramatic decrease in both the incidence and severity of clinical signs occurred within 3-4 days. On a farm in the Winterton district, approximately 80% of the growing pigs with a mass of more than 40 kg fed a mixed ration containing shelled yellow maize from the silo of the local Agricultural Co-operative were affected. The incidence as well as the severity of the swelling of the vulvas and/or treats were lower than on the farm at Ixopo, thus indicating a lower level of oestrogen intake. A sample of maize from the silo delivered to this farm contained only 0,06 mg/kg zearalenone while the mixed ration did not contain chemically detectable levels of zearalenone. This is the first published record of field outbreaks of porcine hyperoestrogenism associated with the ingestion of F. graminearum infected maize contaminated with zearalenone in the Republic of South Africa.

[Allergic skin reaction in infectious rhinotracheitis and infectious pustular vulvovaginitis in cattle]

Through a skin-allergic reaction were subjected to a study cattle of different ages (calves-sucklings, growing calves and grown up calves), originating from 4 different from the epizootic point of view cow-farms--one latent focus, two foci with an apparent infection and one cow-farm in good health conditions. On the healthy cow-farm the skin-allergic reaction and the virus neutralizing reaction were not marked. On the farms affected with latent infection and with manifestation of abortions with cows, the skin-allergic reaction with calves till the age of 3 months was negative, whereas the virus neutralizing reaction was usually positive; with the calves at the age of about 6 months the skin-allergic reaction began slightly to become positive. The virus neutralizing reaction was also positive. With the grown up animals both reactions were positive. In the development of recently brought clinical infection among the calves, without affecting their mothers, both reactions were negative with newly born calves, whereas from the second month onward, they began to become positive.

Evaluation of the rabbit as a laboratory model for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus infection

Experimental infection of rabbits with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV) produced diverse manifestations of disease which included abortion, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, vulvovaginitis, systemic infection, neonatal death and respiratory tract infection. Each disease syndrome was studied using virus isolation, fluorescent antibody examination and histologic examination. Conjunctivitis, dermatitis and vulvovaginitis lesions were characterized by edema, infiltration of mucosa and submucosa with inflammatory cells and ulceration of epithelium. Systemic infection resulted in severe necrosis of liver and adrenal glands with large numbers of cells containing intranuclear inculsions. Pregnant rabbits aborted within 48 hours following inoculation of IBRV. Virus infection and viral lesions were not demonstrated in aborted fetuses.

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis: a review and update

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), a herpesvirus infection of cattle, has diverse clinical manifestations. Known mainly as a respiratory tract disease characterized by tracheitis, rhinitis, and fever, IBR plays a prominent role among causes of undifferentiated bovine respiratory disease and abortion. It also causes conjunctivitis, infectious pustular vulvovaginitis, balanoposthitis, and rarely, encephalitis. The virus is readily transmitted and has worldwide distribution. Some cattle develop a latent infection, which can be reactivated. The disease can be diagnosed by clinical signs and lesions and by a variety of virologic and immunologic techniques. Control of IBR is based largely on vaccination. A review is timely because efficient utilization of the wide assortment of available vaccines requires knowledge of recent developments in the diagnosis, immunology, and epidemiology of the disease.

Isolation of mycoplasmas from the genital tract of horses

Vaginal swabs from 19 mares and penile swabs from 4 stallions were cultured for mycoplasmas. A single semen sample from one of the stallions was also examined. Twelve vaginal swabs and 2 penile swabs yielded mycoplasmas. Ten of the positive vaginal swabs were from mares with vaginitis, or with a history of failure of conception. Two were from apparently healthy mares, but one had been served by an infected stallion. One positive penile swab was from a stallion with ulcerative lesions and the other from a stallion with breeding difficulties. All 14 strains of mycoplasma utilised arginine, and the growth of 11 strains was inhibited by hyperimmune serum against one strain.

Studies on the effects of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus on reproduction in heifers

Natural venereal infection of heifers with IBR virus resulted in vulvovaginal lesions in 9 of 12 heifers at 3 weeks after introducttion to bulls, and virus was isolated from 5 of the 9 affected animals. The infection was not associated with any effect on conception. Experimental nasal and conjunctival infection of 18 heifers pregnant for 3, 5 or 7 months with a genital strain of IBR virus caused mild rhinitis or conjunctivitis in all inoculated animals and virus was recovered from 14 animals at 8 days after inoculation. No effects on pregnancy were recorded.

The effect of natural and artificial breeding using bulls infected with, or semen contaminated with, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus

Ten cows and heifers (Group B) were inoculated into the uterus at oestrus with semen followed by IBR virus for the first insemination and semen alone if a second insemination was necessary. All animals developed infectious pustular vulvo-vaginitis (IPV), and 2 cows conceived to the first and 2 to the second insemination (pregnancy rate of 40 percent requiring 4.5 services per conception). This group was compared with 10 control animals (Group A) which were treated similarly but received tissue culture fluid instead of virus at the first insemination. Group A had a pregnancy rate of 90 percent requiring 1.7 services per conception. Natural mating of 4 bulls with preputial infections due to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus with 9 susceptible cows and heifers (group D), resulted in the production of lesions of IPV. The IPV infection did not affect their fertility (pregnancy rate of 89 percent requiring 1.4 services per conception) when it was compared to a similar group of females (group C) mated to the same bulls prior to infection with IBR virus (pregnancy rate of 100 percent requiring 1.2 services per conception). The 6 animals in Group B that were not pregnant and returned to oestrus 3 times were found on slaughter to have endometritis, salpingitis and vaginitis. A high incidence, 5 out of 18 (28 percent), of shortened oestrous cycles (less than 18 days) was a feature of the breeding pattern of this group. The undesirable consequences of distributing semen contaminated with IBR virus from artificial insemination centres are apparent.

Pathology of Mycoplasma agalactiae induced granular vulvovaginitis (GVV) in goats

Granular vulvovaginitis (GVV) was experimentally produced in female kids by topical application of M. agalactiae on the scarified vulvar mucosa. Grossly visible GVV lesions were seen in 25 out of 30 infected kids, yet all were positive for microscopic lesions. Microscope lesions that appeared by 7 days post infection (DPI) were comprised of stromal oedema, lymphocytic infiltration into the lamina propria and perivascular accumulation of a few lymphocytes. The lesions observed between 28 and 49 DPI were comparable to those of spontaneous cases (severe). The changes seen in kids euthanized between 56 to 70 DPI were suggestive of the chronic stage of the disease. M. agalactiae was reisolated from all the infected kids from 7 to 70 days after inoculation. The pathology and pathogenesis of this condition have been described and discussed.

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis-infectious pustular vulvovaginitis viral isolates from cattle with epididymitis and vaginitis

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis-infectious pustular vulvovaginitis (IBR-IPV) viral isolates were obtained from cattle affected with epididymitis-vaginitis. Isolation of virus from the diseased animals indicated that the genital form of IBR-IPV virus infection exists in Kenya and that epididymitis-vaginitis may be associated with IBR-IPV virus. Serums prepared from cattle having the genital form of the disease did not always have detectable antibody titers.