36
Pseudotuberculosis in the Goat
milk slightly alkaline. It was V. P.— and M.R.+.
The organism is a member of the Pasteurella
pseudotuberculosis group.
Agglutination tests were conducted to ascertain
to which of Schütze's serological groūp the organism
belonged. Type strains belonging to groups I,
II, III and IV were included. An antiserum made
in the rabbit against flagellated goat strain
organism agglutinated H—suspensions of the
homologous organism and of all the type strains
except the one belonging to Group III. O—
antigens had a tendency to spontaneous settling.
Slide agglutination tests were, therefore, conducted
with O—antigens made from agar growths. The
serum agglutinated the homologous antigen and
among the type strains only those belonging to
group I. The organism belongs to Schütze's
serological group I (Table I.) No absorption test
was done, and the sub-type has not been deter
mined.
TABLE I
Agglutination reaction obtained with H+O serum made against the organism obtained from the goat titre
N. C. T. C. No.
and
serological type
Antigen
' H ' anti
gen (tube
test)
' O ' -anti
gen (slide
agglutination
test)
No. 1102
Gr. I, Type
A
800
+ + +
No. 824
Gr. I, Type
B
1,600
+ + +
No. 2476
Gr. II, Type
A
400
—
No. 1779
Gr. II. Type
400
—
No. 3245
Gr. III
..
—
No. 3570
Gr. IV
800
—
Homologous
strain
1,600
+ + +
+ + + = Distinct clumping within one minute.
— = No clumping in five minutes.
PATHOGENICITY TESTS
A broth culture of the organism was injected
intravenously at a dose of 0.2 c.c. into a rabbit.
The animal died six days later and revealed on
autopsy lesions resembling those of miliary tuber
culosis, chiefly in the lung, liver and spleen.
Pasteurella pseudotuberculosis was re-isolated in
pure culture from the affected organs.
Another rabbit was under immunization with
carbolized cultures of the organism for the pro
duction of agglutinating serum. After a course
of 12 injections, the animal received a dose of
0.3 c.c. of living broth culture and died six days
later. On autopsy, it revealed lesions similar to
those of the first rabbit, save that in this case the
liver was more extensively involved than the
lungs and the spleen.
Four goats were infected, two by the subcuta
neous inoculation of 1.0 c.c. of an 18-hours
broth culture and two by an intranasal spray of the
same amount of culture. The goats died of
pneumonia at intervals ranging from eight to
20 days. Post mortem examination revealed on
other abnormality than consolidation of the
greater part of the anterior lobes of the lungs.
No nodules were seen by the naked eye, but
sections revealed the presence of early nodules
evidenced by the accumulation of lymphoid
cells. Pasteurella pseudotuberculosis was re-isolated
from the spleen and the consolidated portions of
the lungs.
SUMMARY
A description is given of a case of pseudotuber
culosis in a goat which appears to be the second
case so far reported in this species. The symptoms,
gross morbid anatomy and histopathology of the
condition are described. The causal organism was
identified as Pasteurella pseudotuberculosis, group
I (Schütze).
REFERENCES
Baumann, R. (1927). Z. Infektar. Houstiere 31, 141
Malassez, L. and Vignal, W. (1883), Arch Physiol. Norm.
Path. 2, 369 (Original not seen)
Preisz, H. (1894). Ann. Inst. Pasieur 8, 231
—
and Guinard. (1891). J. Med. Bet. 42, 563