Campylobacter

Question 1

What is the significance of Camp in sheep?

Answer 1

• 3rd most common cause of abortion
• 20% loss/ sporadic
• goes to the uterus and causes necrotic placentitis
• causes late abortion, still births, weak lambs

Question 3

What is the significance in cattle?

Answer 3

• C. fetus sbsp. venerealis - more associated with fertility issues/ econonic problems (causes Bovine Genital Campylobacterosis) - venereal disease/ embryonic death
• C. fetus sbsp fetus - abortion

Question 4

What camp species dont tend to cause repro disease in cows and sheep?

Answer 4

• c.jejuni
• c.coli

Question 5

Describe Campylobacter

Answer 5

• Curved, S-shaped, spiral rod
• microaerophilic - so difficult to grow in lab
• G-ve
• oxidase +ve
• darting corkscrew motility
• single polar flagellum
• 37-42 degrees

Question 6

What are the vectors and signs of C.jejuni, C.coli. C.fetus?

Answer 6

• C.jejuni - man, mammals, poutlry, birds - raw milk, food, water, poultry - enteritis, GBS, systemic illness
• C.coli - mammals, pigs, poulrty - food, water, poultry - enteritis
• C.fetus - cow and sheep - uncooked meat - beef and pork - enteritis, bacteriaemia, meniginits

Question 7

Describe the virulence of Camp

Answer 7

• flagella - motility - chemotactic to mucin
• cytolethal distending toxin -CLDT produced
• adhesion
• invasion
• diarrohea - inflammation?

Question 8

What strains of camp cause disease in sheep?

Answer 8

• C. fetus
• sometimes C.jejuni

Question 9

What are the infectious causes of infertility in cattle?

Answer 9

• Campylobacter fetus - venerealis
• Salmonellosis
• Neospora
• Leptospirosis

Question 10

How is C.fetus sbsp venerealis spread?

Answer 10

• venereally
• contaminated instruments
• AI
• bedding

Question 11

Why is infection varible in bulls?

Answer 11

• depends on age-related preputial epithelial crypts
• <3/4 years - crypts not fully developed
• >3/4 years - crypts very developed - microaerophilic environment - growth
• need to sample the crypts

Question 12

It the infection variable in cows?

Answer 12

• varies - some clear the infection rapidly, others carry it for 2+ years
• around 50% of cows will shed IgA antibodies in cervical mucus for several months - diagnostic
• genital tract may be free - but vagina may remain chronically infected

Question 13

Describe the pathogenesis in cattle

Answer 13

• in the crypts
• then moves into the female via coitus
• moves through the mucus becauase of the flagella
• causes metritis
• metritis = poor pregnancy rates, embryonic death, reabsorption of the foetus
• can cause abortion

Question 14

What are the clinical signs in cattle?

Answer 14

• cows
  
  • mostly asymptomatic
  • mucopurulent endomeritritis
    
    • longer luteal phases
    • changed oestrus cycles
    • early embryonic death
    • repeat breeding - so protracted calving period
• bulls
  
  • mostly asymptomatic
    
    • in semen
    • test 3 times

Question 15

What PM findings in the foetus of cattle?

Answer 15

• partially expanded lungs
• severly autolysed
• fibrinous pleuritis/ peritonitis
• bronchopnemonia
• haemorrhagic cotelydons
• oedematous intercotelydonary area

Question 16

What is this showing?

Answer 16

• inflammation of the cotelydonary area

Question 17

Samples for diagnosis - cows and bulls??

Answer 17

• cows - anoestrus mucus
• bulls - preputial wash

Question 18

What aborted material should you take for diagnosis?

Answer 18

• foetal stomach contents
• placenta

Question 19

WHat diagnostic tests can be used in cattle?

Answer 19

• VMAT
• PCR
• ELISA - vaginal mucus
• sheath wash examination - fluorescent antibody test - 2x 1 week apart
• bacterial culture of vagina - straight after abortion

Question 20

Methods of control in cattle?

Answer 20

• surveillance
• investigate abortions
• reputable AI
• antibiotics
• autogenous vaccine

Question 21

When do abortions occur in infected sheep?

Answer 21

• last 6 weeks of gestation

Question 22

How is Camp transmitted in sheep?

Answer 22

• survives well in enviro
• contaminated enviro/ pastue/ afterbirth
• FAECAL ORAL ROUTE

Question 23

What does camp cause in sheep?

Answer 23

• damage to the placenta
• so foetus death

Question 24

Describe the epidemiology and incidence in sheep

Answer 24

• self limiting - come into contact with carriers
• shedding highest - Nov and Dec - due to sheep being fed hay and silage instead of pasture
• Winter/ Spring
• increases with stress - lambing, new pasture etc
• outbreaks confined to 1 lambing season

Question 25

PM findings in sheep?

Answer 25

• hepatitis
• pericarditis
• pneumonia

Question 26

What is this?

Answer 26

• fibrinous pericarditis - sheep
• hepatitis

Question 27

WHat samples are taken in ovine abortion?

Answer 27

• foetal abomasal contents
• placenta
• will see more autolysed foetuses in sheep

Question 28

How do you manage sheep that have aborted?

Answer 28

• keep aborted ewes - mix them with non-pregnant replacements - immunity
• use antibiotics
• hygiene and husbandry/ handling
• next year - all that didnt abort, and new lambs will abort

Question 29

What should be done with aborted materials, discharges etc?

Answer 29

• removed and cleaned, disinfected
• make sure doesnt get into water supply
• autogenous vaccines - C.jejuni, foetus

Question 30

Risk factors for sheep and cattle?

Answer 30

• wild birds
• rodents
• open herds
• previous infections on farm
• mixed species