Bovine genital campylobacteriosis is a disease of cattle that can cause fertility problems or abortions.

worldwide

Cattle

Bulls become infected during mating and in insemination centres through contaminated equipment. Cows are infected during mating or through contaminated semen.

Abortions are possible at all stages of gestation.

In cows, most often umrindern and prolonged intercalving periods, abortions are rare. Bulls usually show no clinical symptoms.

Antibiotic treatment does not guarantee freedom from the pathogen. In valuable bulls, the pathogen can also be controlled with inactivated vaccines.

Bacteriological monitoring of insemination animals is carried out in order to prevent the reintroduction of the pathogen into domestic herds.

Bovine genital campylobacteriosis has been practically eradicated in Austria. The disease is notifiable according to the Breeding Diseases Act.

The pathogen occurs worldwide in cattle. The reservoir is the preputial mucosa of clinically healthy bulls. Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis can cause fertility problems in cattle with failure to conceive or implant, early embryonic death or abortion.

Antibiotic treatment does not guarantee freedom from the pathogen. In valuable bulls, the pathogen can also be controlled with inactivated vaccines. In contaminated semen, the parasite is not reliably killed by either deep freezing or antibiotic addition.

The preputial fluid of insemination bulls is examined culturally-bacteriologically. Due to the sensitivity of the pathogens, the samples shall be transported to the laboratory within 6 hours in a special transport medium. In addition, the samples are also examined microscopically and culturally for trichomonads.

Differentially, Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus and other Campylobacter species are to be excluded.

Pathogen identification is performed microscopically, based on growth behavior and antibiotic sensitivity, as well as by biochemical methods and PCR.