2,f32 BTATE BOARD OF AGRICULTirRE. 



as takosis) and its causative organism was described in a bulletin by 

 Mohler and Washburn of the :pureau of Animal Industry in 1903. 



There appears to be no remedial agent for treating affected animals 

 other than isolation of affected animals and the burning or burying of 

 infected material. 



March 18, 1920, a trip was made to a farm near Union City, Mich., for 

 the purpose of ascertaining the cause of an epizootic of abortioli in sheep. 

 This particular flock consisted of 70 ewes and two rams of which IG were 

 grades and the remaining number fine wool sheep. The rams were 

 placed with the ewes in the latter part of November, 1919. The feed for 

 the winter and spring consisted of ensilage, corn fodder, oat straw and 

 oats. They were housed in a barn with access to a small feed yard and 

 kept separate from other animals. The owner said they had been in 

 very good flesh all winter and they appeared in good condition when 

 inspected March 17. 



The first abortion occurred about February IS, 1920. In all, ten liad 

 aborted previous to the visit at the rate of one to four a week. Seven 

 were yearlings and three were 3 to 4 years old. The owner stated that 

 each of the ewes became ill two days before aborting, moved around 

 very slowly and remained by themselves. He also reported having one 

 abortion the previous year. Several farmers in this community have 

 reported the loss of many lambs from premature birth this season. 



There was noticed a vaginal discharge from most of the ewes which 

 aborted. It was a viscid, putrid exudate and reddish-brown in color. A 

 necrotic placenta was seen hanging from the vulva of two ewes which 

 had recently aborted. 



Blood samples were drawn from the jugular vein of four of the ewes 

 which had aborted and from the two rams for serological diagnosis of 

 bovine infectious abortion. All were found negative. 



Three fetuses and one uterus from a ewe which was killed 3G hours 

 after aborting Avere brought to the laboratory for bacteriological ex- 

 amination. Stained smears made from the meconium of the three 

 fetuses and from the exudate contained in the liorns of the uterus showed 

 a gram-positive coccus in single elements and in chains of two, three, 

 and four elements. There Avere no noticeable anatomical changes in the 

 organs of the fetuses. The uterus from the ewe showed considerable 

 congestion and edema ; the mucous membrane and maternal cotyledons of 

 the left horn were covered with a creamy exudate. 



Smears on liver agar plates, stab cultures, broth cultures and guinea 

 ]tig inoculation were made from the meconium of the stomacli of the 

 three fetuses and from the uterine exudate of the ewe. The inoculated 

 media were incubated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and ob- 

 served daily for two weeks for growth with negative results. 



Twenty days after inoculation a pregnant guinea i)ig (iuocuL-ited 

 intra])eritoneally \\itli uterine exudate), witliont sliowing premonitory 

 sym])toms, aborted three fetuses. The pig was killed immediately and 

 together witli the three fetuses examined for any anatomical changes. 

 The organs of the pig a])])eared normal exce])t the uterus whicli was 

 highly congested and contained within the horns a brownish, turbid, 

 serous fluid. 



Cultures were made from- the stomach content of the fetus and the 

 utei-in(> exudate of the ])ig and incubated under aerobic and ana(M'obic 



