302 VETERINARY BACTERIOLOGY 



Bacillus bovisepticus 



Synonyms. Bacterium bovisepticum ; Bacterium bipolare multi- 

 cidum; Bacillus bovicida. 



Disease Produced. Hemorrhagic septicemia in cattle, buffalo, 

 and related wild animals; Rinderseuche; Wildseuche. 



The early descriptions of this disease refer to it as attacking 

 cattle, wild animals, and swine. Bellinger, in 1878, first described 

 it as Wild- and Rinderseuche, attacking wild boars and deer. 

 Kitt, in 1885, isolated an organism belonging to the hemorrhagic 

 septicemia group. Since that time numerous investigators have 

 reported epidemics of the disease in many countries. Fernmore, 

 in 1898, first noted its presence in the United States. Wilson and 

 Bumhall, in 1901, and Reynolds, in 1903, studied several epi- 

 demics in the State of Minnesota. 



Morphology and Staining. It does not differ from the B. 

 avisepticus and B. suisepticus. 



Isolation and Culture. The specific organism may be isolated 

 from the blood and the internal organs of infected animals. The 

 cultural characters are practically identical with the preceding 

 forms. 



Physiology. Same as B. avisepticus and B. suisepticus. 



Pathogenesis. Experimental Evidence. The organism is path- 

 ogenic for the mouse, rabbit, and pigeon. Inoculation of virulent 

 cultures into cattle have been successful in causing the disease. 



Character of Disease and Lesions Produced. The presence 

 of small hemorrhages in many of the body organs, and particularly 

 upon the serous surfaces, is characteristic. Hemorrhages are 

 quite uniformly present also in the subcutaneous tissues. In 

 some cases these are quite extensive and involve a considerable 

 portion of the body surface. The heart is usually petechiated. 



Immunity. It is entirely prpbable that the facts relative to 

 immunity given under the discussion of fowl cholera and swine 

 plague will hold good in bovine hemorrhagic septicemia. How- 

 ever, no practical method of immunization is known and little 

 work has been done on this topic. 



Bacteriologic Diagnosis. Stained mounts from the blood and 

 the internal organs will show the gram-negativo, polar-staining 

 bacillus. It may be isolated upon culture-media. Diagnosis 



