Table 1.
Summary of clinical observations and bacteriological studies
| Groups | Control | Group1 (G1) | Group2 (G2) | Group3 (G3) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals no. | 1 | 2 | G1-O-1 | G1-O-2 | G1-V-1 | G1-V-2 | G2-O-1 | G2-O-2 | G2-V-1 | G2-V-2 | G3-O-1 | G3-O-2 | G3-V-1 | G3-V-2 |
| Strain used for inoculation | None (sterile saline) | 81–176 | Bovine abortion C. jejuni | Ovine abortion C. jejuni | ||||||||||
| Status | Normal delivery | Normal delivery | Normal delivery | Normal delivery | Normal delivery | Normal delivery | Delivered twins | Normal delivery | Stillbirth | Stillbirth | Stillbirth | Abortion | Died 20 h pi | Normala delivery |
| Occurrence of abortion or delivery post inoculation | 6 weeks | 7 weeks | 6 weeks | 6 weeks | 4 weeks | 7 weeks | 5 weeks | 7 weeks | 4 weeks | 3 weeks | 6 weeks | 2 weeks | ---- | 6 weeks |
| Liver | -- | -- | -- | -- | +++ | + | -- | -- | +++ | +++ | -- | +++ | + | -- |
| Spleen | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | + | -- | +++ | + | -- |
| Kidney | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ++ | + | -- |
| Blood | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | + | -- |
| S. Intestine | -- | -- | + | + | + | + | + | +++ | ++ | +++ | +++ | ++ | -- (highly congested) | -- |
| Feces | -- | -- | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | -- | -- |
| Lung | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | +++ | + (hydrothorax) | -- |
| Placenta | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | -- | + | -- | 1 × 107 | 4 × 107 | 2 × 106 | 2 × 108 | -- | -- |
| Uterus | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | -- | + | + | 5 × 106 | 1 × 107 | 4 × 105 | 3 × 107 | -- | -- |
| Colostrum | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | +++ | N/A | -- |
| Placental fluids | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | +++ | +++ | + | +++ | -- | -- |
| Fetal fluids | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | +++ | +++ | + | +++ | -- | -- |
| Fetal Liver | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | +++ | +++ | -- | + | N/A | -- |
| Fetal Lung | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | +++ | +++ | -- | + | N/A | -- |
| Fetal S. Intestine | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | -- | +++ | +++ | +++ | + | N/A | -- |
| Fetal meconium | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | + | + | -- | N/A | -- |
+ = (mild growth: less than 100 CFU), ++ = (moderate growth: less than 300 CFU), +++ = (heavy growth: too many to count), -- = (No Growth), N/A, Not applicable; aEwe (G3-V-2) no C. jejuni was isolated from any tissues; however, at postmortem this ewe was found to be heavily infested with tapeworm.