Isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility of obligate anaerobic bacteria recovered from the uteri of dairy cows with retained fetal membranes and postparturient endometritis

Efficacy of different treatment protocols for endometritis in Camelus dromedarius

Endometritis is considered a significant cause of infertility problems in dromedary camels. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of different treatment protocols for endometritis in dromedary camels under Abu Dhabi Emirates' conditions. A total of 112 dromedary she-camels with uterine infection were subjected to uterine swabbing for bacterial culture and received one of the following treatments: (i) uterine douching with lotagen every other day for three doses, (ii) single parenteral oxytetracycline injection, (iii) subcutaneous injection with ceftiofur for 5 days, or (vi) combined oxytetracycline-ceftiofur injection. The results showed that Escherichia coli was the most isolated bacteria, followed by Streptococcus species. Treatment efficacy was (P < 0.05) higher in ceftiofur and oxytetracycline-ceftiofur protocols compared with lotagen and oxytetracycline protocols. The fertility indexes, services per conception and pregnancy rate, were improved in ceftiofur and mixed oxytetracycline plus ceftiofur protocols as the pregnancy rate was (P < 0.05) higher in those protocols compared with lotagen and oxytetracycline protocols (71.4 and 67.9% vs. 39.3 and 42.9%, respectively). On the other hand, the number of services per conception was significantly lower in ceftiofur and oxytetracycline-ceftiofur protocols (1.2 for each protocol) than in lotagen and oxytetracycline protocols (1.8 and 1.7, respectively). In conclusion, subcutaneous injection of 1 ml ceftiofur per 50 kg body mass for 5 days can be used as an efficient treatment for uterine infection in female dromedary camels caused by E. coli and Streptococcus species for improving their fertility indexes.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Clostridium and Brachyspira spp. and Other Anaerobes

This article describes the antimicrobial resistance to date of the most frequently encountered anaerobic bacterial pathogens of animals. The different sections show that antimicrobial resistance can vary depending on the antimicrobial, the anaerobe, and the resistance mechanism. The variability in antimicrobial resistance patterns is also associated with other factors such as geographic region and local antimicrobial usage. On occasion, the same resistance gene was observed in many anaerobes, whereas some were limited to certain anaerobes. This article focuses on antimicrobial resistance data of veterinary origin.

Differential expression of endometrial toll-like receptors (TLRs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) with endometritis

Toll like receptors (TLRs) and β-defensins expressed in the endometrium are part of the innate uterine defense mechanism (UDM). In the present study, transcriptional profile of TLRs (1-3, 6-8, 10, and) and β-defensins such as lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP), tracheal antimicrobial peptide (TAP) and bovine neutrophil beta-defensin 4 (BNBD4) were studied. Bubaline genitalia were collected from abattoir and the endometrium was categorized into one of the following seven groups (n = 7/group) based on cyclicity and endometritis: follicular non-endometritis (FNE), luteal non-endometritis (LNE), follicular cytological endometritis (FCE), luteal cytological endometritis (LCE), follicular purulent endometritis (FPE), luteal purulent endometritis (LPE) and acyclic non-endometritis (ANE). Cytological endometritis (CE) was diagnosed by uterine cytology while purulent endometritis (PE) was diagnosed by the presence of purulent or mucopurulent exudate in the uterine lumen. Real time PCR was performed and the relative fold change was analysed. TLR1 and BNBD4 transcripts were not found in the buffalo endometrium. Of all the innate immune genes studied, upregulation of TLR and β-defensins was mostly contributed by the inflammatory status of endometrium. Further, there was a prominent upregulation of TAP in buffaloes with endometritis. However, no association could be found between the inflammatory status of the endometrium and phase of estrous cycle with respect to the expression of TLRs and β-defensins.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of intrauterine treatment with formosulphathiazole of clinical endometritis in postpartum dairy cows

In cattle, elimination of bacterial contamination from the uterine lumen after parturition is often delayed or compromised, and pathogenic bacteria can persist, causing uterine disease and infertility. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and bacteriologic recovery following a single intrauterine administration of formosulphatiazole, cephapirin or placebo in cows with clinical endometritis. Cows (n = 80), no less than 28 days postpartum, with clinical endometritis were enrolled in the study. Endometritis was diagnosed by a complete reproductive examination, including rectal palpation, ultrasonography, vaginoscopy and uterine swab. All cows were randomly assigned to receive one of three intrauterine treatments (T0): 2500 mg of formosulphatiazole (Group A); 500 mg of cephapirin (Group B); placebo (4250 mg of propylene glycol; Group C). Cows were examined at the first estrus after treatment or no more than 30 days after (T1). Bacteria isolated were E. coli, A. pyogenes, Pasteurella spp. and Streptococcus spp. After treatment, in Group A and B only 6/30 (20.0%) and 6/24 (25.0%) cows showed a positive bacteriologic culture (P > 0.05), while in Group C the number of positive animals was significantly higher (19/26; 73.1%; P < 0.05). At T0, total clinical scores were similar between the three groups (Group A: 5.84 ± 1.07; Group B: 5.91 ± 1.0; Group C: 5.62 ± 1.17; P > 0.05) and indicative of clinical endometritis. At T1, endometritis scores were significantly lower than those reported before uterine infusion (P < 0.05); however, Group A and B score, 0.4 ± 0.9 and 1.0 ± 2.1, respectively, correspond to no and slight endometritis, while animals in Group C reported a total endometritis score significantly higher (4.6 ± 3.5; P < 0.05) corresponding to endometritis. In the present study, a commercial formosulphatiazole preparation was as effective as cephapirin and more effective than placebo for the treatment of clinical endometritis.

Significance of nitric oxide concentration in plasma and uterine secretes with puerperal endometritis in dairy cows

Endometritis is an inflammation of the endometrial lining of the uterus without systemic signs, which is associated with chronic postpartum infection of the uterus with pathogenic bacteria. Nitric oxide (NO) is an inflammatory mediator that among other effects causes smooth muscle relaxation and mediated cytoimmunity and inflammation toxicity. To see if the nitric oxide concentration in plasma and uterine secrets is related with postpartum endometritis, NO concentrations in plasma and uterine secrets were measured in dairy cows with puerperal endometritis (clinical endometritis (n = 60) and subclinical endometritis (n = 58)). Cows with clinical or subclinical endometritis showed higher concentrations of NO in both plasma and uterine secrets when compared with normal cows and the highest concentrations of NO in plasma and uterine secrets were found in dairy cows with clinical endometritis. Expression level of NOS2 mRNA in endometrial biopsies from cows with puerperal endometritis was also higher and the highest expression of NOS2 mRNA was found in cows with clinical endometritis. The results showed that concentrations of NO in plasma and uterine fluid are related with the degree of endometritis which may be useful to diagnose the endometritis in dairy cows.

Bacterial complications of postpartum uterine involution in cattle

The bacterial contamination of the postpartum uterus is a frequent finding which by itself does not disturb the anatomical and histological restoration of tubular genital tract. The improper balance between uterine infection and the intrauterine antimicrobial self-defence mechanisms, however, often results in complications, such as puerperal metritis, clinical endometritis, pyometra and subclinical endometritis. After reviewing the bacteriology of uterine involution, and the predisposing factors for its bacterial complications, this paper defines the different clinical forms, and summarizes their pathology, furthermore, the recent progress in diagnostic considerations and principles of current treatments for these diseases of bovine genitals.

Bacteriological and epidemiological findings during examination of the uterine content of ewes with retention of fetal membranes

We included 92 pairs of ewes with or without retention of fetal membranes in a cohort study of 25 flocks in Southern Greece. We obtained two uterine content samples under aseptic conditions, by introducing a swab into the uterus of these ewes, on the 2nd-4th and the 5th-9th day after lambing. We used conventional bacteriological techniques to isolate and identify bacteria and to carry out antimicrobial agents susceptibility testing. The prevalence of bacterial intrauterine contamination among ewes with retention was 24% on the first and 46% on the second sampling (P < 0.0001) and that among ewes without retention was 8 and 2% (P > 0.05), respectively. Clinical signs accompanying the retention of fetal membranes were more frequently observed among ewes with intrauterine contamination than among those without (P = 0.0007). The odds of an ewe having an intrauterine contamination increased multiplicatively by 1.06 when the median duration of retention in the flock increased by 6 h. The principal bacteria isolated from the ewes with retention were Arcanobacterium pyogenes and Escherichia coli; 21% of 73 isolates tested were found resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent.

Diagnostic studies of abortion in Danish dairy herds

Diagnostic findings in 218 aborted bovine foetuses are reported. The materials were examined in a matched case-control study of 69 Danish dairy herds with a sudden increase in the number of abortions and a corresponding 69 control herds. Foetuses aborted during the subsequent 6-month period were examined to identify the cause of abortion if possible. A total of 186 specimens were submitted from case herds and 32 from control herds. A likely cause of abortion was diagnosed in 73 foetuses. The most common cause was bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV: 13%) followed by Neospora caninum infection (10%), mycosis (5%) and Bacillus licheniformis infection (4%). Foetal and/or placental lesions were found in a further 27 cases. Only BVDV infection and neosporosis were diagnosed in more than one foetus per herd and only protozoal associated abortions occurred significantly more frequently in the case, rather than in the control, herds.