Actinomycosis. 



The actinomyces are widely spread forms of the higher bac- 

 teria with true branching, and stand between the lower bacteria 

 and hyphomycetes. They almost invariably occur on grain, hay, 

 straw, fruit, manure, soil, flour and milk. Most of the actinomyces 

 are harmless provided a foreign body does not facilitate their col r 

 onization in the animal body. Splinters of wood, and especially 

 beards of barley are frequently the carriers of the infection. 



Transmission from man to man or from animal to man is not 

 known up to the present time. The basis of an infection always 

 lies in wound infection either through the above mentioned for- 

 eign bodies, or by the fungi gradually becoming accustomed to exis- 

 tence in necrotic tissue of the animal body (caries of teeth). Johne 

 succeeded in producing actinomycosis of the udder through the 

 injection of actinomycotic cultures into the milk cistern. 



Although transmission to man through milk from actinomy- 

 cotic udders is not to be feared, prohibition of the sale of such milk 

 is required since it must be considered as spoiled on account of 

 the presence of pus and other associated changes. 



Contrary to actinomycosis, "actinobacillosis" first described 

 by Lignieres and Spitz in Argentina, and which clinically resem- 

 bles actinomycosis, is of a contagious nature. Therefore although 

 actinobacillosis has not yet been described in man it should be more 

 carefully judged than actinomycosis. In Germany cases of actin- 

 omycosis have been reported which from the bacteriological find- 

 ings, should be classed as actinobacillosis, and these cases occur 

 sometimes in an enzootic form or as stable outbreaks. 



Thus Imminger in Oberpfalz and Preusse in Western Prussia, 

 described an enzootic extension of actinomycosis, and Schulze 

 mentioned a case in which the disease affected most of the animals 

 in the stable (of 30 steers 27 were affected) . Of 87 newly purchased 

 animals more than half of those placed in the stable became af- 

 fected, while 12, which had been stabled on other premises and 

 which received the same feed, remained healthy. 



Milk from udders affected with actinobadllosis, and mixed 

 milk which contains such secretion must be considered as spoiled 

 and prohibited from consumption. 



Mixed infections of the udder with these described bacteria 

 and others, should be similarly judged, and likewise infections 

 with malignant edema bacteria, Bacillus necrophorus, etc. 



