The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 18, Issue 3 365-369, Copyright © 1984 by Society for General Microbiology
Isolation of obligate anaerobic bacteria from bovine abscesses in sites other than the liver
M. Kanoe, K. Nouka and M. Toda
A survey in Japan showed that of 2036 slaughtered cattle 58(3%) had
abscesses in sites other than the liver. In 21 of the affected animals the
lesions were pulmonary and in 32 abdominal (excluding hepatic); in five
animals the lesions were found elsewhere (muscle 2, skin 2, bone 1).
Nineteen (33%) of the 58 cattle also had abscesses in the liver. Obligate
anaerobes alone were isolated from 17(29%) of the affected animals
(Fusobacterium necrophorum 14, Bacteroides spp. 2, Peptostreptococcus
anaerobius 1). A mixture of obligate anaerobes and aerobes or facultative
anaerobes was isolated from 31 affected cattle: of these animals 21 yielded
large and five small numbers of F. necrophorum; three yield fusobacteria
other than F. necrophorum; and two yielded Propionibacterium acnes. The
remaining 10 affected animals yielded only aerobes or facultative
anaerobes. The numbers of viable obligate anaerobes in pus specimens were
in the range 10(3)-10(9)/ml.
