120 ANNUAL RKrORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Additional evidence Avas obtained that bulls giving positive re- 

 actions to the abortion tests may harbor abortion infection in 

 their generative organs and that the presence of the infection may be 

 associated with definite lesions. The findings in five cases are de- 

 scribed in a paper appearing in the Journal of Agricultural Re- 

 search. 



While abortion disease up to the present time appears to have 

 interfered to only a slight extent with the swine industry, further 

 evidence has been obtained that abortion infection is capable of 

 causing losses in some instances in hogs. The presence of the infec- 

 tion was definitely established in one outbreak in Indiana, and on 

 six other farms in the same State where abortion losses had been 

 heavy among sows abortion infection was indicated by positive ag- 

 glutination reactions. 



Serological tests have been applied to several hundred samples of 

 blood serum from suspected cases, and the definite knowledge thus 

 gained as to the presence of the disease in many cases has enabled 

 cattle owners to adopt ajDpropriate control measures. 



Cooperative research work by investigators at the veterinary de- 

 partment of Cornell University, in connection with an outbreak of 

 disease in a flock of 235 Merino ewes where 50 per cent or more 

 aborted or produced immature lambs, disclosed as the probable 

 causative factor a spirillum, a type of microorganism not hitherto 

 recognized in this country as associated with ovine abortion, although 

 a similar type of organism had been previously isolated from abort- 

 ing cows in this division. Severe abortion lasses in sheep in Great 

 Britain liaA'e been attributed to a similar if not identical type of 

 infection. The losses from ovine abortion in this country up to the 

 present time have been slight. 



BACILLUS X A^D EQUINE INFLUENZA. 



An organism morphologically and culturally closely resembling 

 Bacillus subtilis^ and designated as Bacillus X by its discoverer, has 

 been incriminated as a factor in the cause of equine influenza, and 

 studies have been made of that organism in relation to the disease. 

 Results of investigation show that no serological relationship exists 

 between Bacillus X and B. suhtilis. Large doses of Bacdlus X 

 failed to produce any evidence of disease when injected into guinea 

 pigs, rabbits, or horses. Agglutinins and specific complement-fixing 

 bodies are demonstrable in hyperimmune serum. 



In a test for toxin production, horses Avere temporarily discom- 

 forted by large injections of sterile bouillon filtrates of this or- 

 ganism, after which the animals remained normal. Guinea pigs and 

 rabbits showed no ill effects from injections of this filtrate. The fil- 

 trate showed distinct antigenic properties when used as an antigen 

 against serum from horses hyperimmunized against Bacillus X. 



Complement-fixation tests with Bacillus X as an antigen, on a 

 limited number of serums for animals affected with influenza or 

 recently recovered from that disease, resulted in negative reactions 

 in all cases. Several of these serums in low dilutions showed some 

 agglutinating power against Bacillus X suspension. This same 

 agglutination was also evidenced in certain normal horse serums in 

 which exposure to influenza infection could be reasonably excluded. 



