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Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research logoLink to Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research
. 1991 Apr;55(2):168–173.

Endometrial biopsy in Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. III. Bacteriological analysis and correlations with histological findings.

B N Bonnett 1, S W Martin 1, V P Gannon 1, R B Miller 1, W G Etherington 1
PMCID: PMC1263438  PMID: 1884297

Abstract

This study examines the results of bacterial culture from 159 endometrial biopsy samples from 97 commercial dairy cows and correlations between bacteriological and histological findings. Bacteria were isolated from approximately 80% of biopsies taken at day 26 and day 40 postpartum. Eleven percent of biopsies were positive for both aerobic and anaerobic culture. Streptococci, Escherichia coli and Actinomyces pyogenes were the most common isolates. Isolation of A. pyogenes from a biopsy at day 26 was positively correlated with isolation of anaerobic bacteria and segmented cell inflammation in the same biopsy, and with subsequent isolation of A. pyogenes at day 40. There was a strong association between isolation of A. pyogenes and anaerobes at day 26 with increased uterine lesions at day 40. Isolation of alpha hemolytic streptococci (AHS) was negatively correlated with isolation of A. pyogenes and with inflammation. Actinomyces pyogenes and AHS showed opposite associations with mononuclear cell inflammation and lymphocytic foci.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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