Abstract
Listeriosis in sheep. Listeria monocytogenes excretion and immunological state in healthy sheep. Acta vet. scand. 1979, 20, 168–179. — The excretion of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in the faeces and milk, and humoral and cell mediated immunity against Lm, were examined in a sheep flock where no cases of listeriosis had occurred during the last 3 years. The investigation was carried out during the indoor season. During the first part of the season 2 of the 10 pregnant, 8 months old lambs excreted Lm in the faeces, but none of the 106 ewes, 2–10 years old. At lambing the organism was isolated from the faeces of 6 of the 10 1 year old lambs and from 64% of the ewes, and from the milk of 1 of the lambs and 41% of the ewes. Nearly all the isolates (98.5%) belonged to serotype 1.
Antibody titres against Lm were found in sera and whey by an indirect haemagglutination method. The titres were higher for the ewes than for the hoggs and seemed to be influenced by the number of foetuses the animals carried.
Cell mediated immunity was determined by a skin test where delayed hypersensitivity against an antigen prepared from Lm, was measured. Animals fed grass silage had a stronger reaction than animals fed hay, and a stronger reaction was found in animals with ≥ 3 foetuses than in the remainder.
The investigation indicates that even in a healthy sheep flock all the animals may be exposed to Lm, and the majority may be latent carriers and excrete this organism in the faeces and milk during periods of stress.
Keywords: Listeria monocytogenes, sheep, bacteria in faeces and milk, immunity
Sammendrag
Utskiljing av Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) i faeces og mjølk og utvikling av humoral og cellebunden immunitet mot denne bakterien blei undersøkt i ein saueflokk. I denne flokken hadde det ikkje vore noko tilfelle av klinisk listeriose i dei siste 3 åra, og i dei siste 14 åra var berre 3 sauer blitt behandla for denne sjukdommen. Sauene blei undersøkte i innefóringsperioden, og i fyrste delen av denne perioden var det ingen av dei vaksne sauene som skilde ut bakterien. Derimot blei han funnen hos 2 av dei 10 lamma. Etter lamming skilde 64% av dei 106 sauene og 6 av dei 10 lamma ut Lm i faeces, og 41% av sauene og 1 av årslamma skilde ut Lm i mjølka. 98.5% av dei isolerte bakteriene tilhøyrde serotype 1.
Ved bruk av ein indirekte haemagglutinasjonsmetode blei det funne antistoff mot Lm både i sera og mjølk. Antistoff-titeret var høgare hos sauene enn hos årslamma, og titera såg ut til å vera påverka av kor mange foster dyra hadde.
Cellebunden immunitet blei undersøkt ved ein hudtest der seinka hypersensitivitet mot eit antigen framstelt frå Lm, blei målt. Dyr fora med silofór hadde større utslag på denne testen enn dyr fóra med høy, og dyr med ≥ 3 foster hadde større utslag enn resten av dyra.
Dette syner at også i flokkar med sjeldne utbrot av klinisk listeriose kan dei fleste dyra bli utsette for smitte med Lm, og storparten ser ut til å bli latente bærarar av denne bakterien. Dei kan då skilja ut Lm under påverknad av stress.
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Footnotes
This work was supported by grants from the Norwegian Agricultural Research Council.
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