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GASTROENTERITIS IN YOUNG CALVES [Vol. XXVIII, Part III,
and have a world-wide distribution. Salm. typhimurium is the most cosmopolitan
of all types, which may infect any mammal or bird. It commonly causes septicaemia
in young animals and birds and gastroenteritis in man. The other two species,
particularly Salm. dublin, are pathogenic mainly for cattle and buffaloes [literature
cited by Henning, 1953 and Kraneveld et al., 1950]. The other types are relatively
uncommon in occurrence. All of these have been occasionally isolated from cases
of gastroenteritis in man and the types Salm. newport, Salm. butantan, and Salm.
Chester have also been isolated from cases of infantile diarrhoea by Hormaeche,
Peluffo and Aleppo [1940] and Peluffo et al. [1946]. In the present work these
Salmonella types were isolated from cases of septicaemia and acute gastroenteritis
in young calves. It is difficult to define their exact role in the aetiology of disease
in calves as it was not possible to undertake experiments to reproduce the disease in
healthy calves.
This record of isolation of such a variety of Salmonella types from calves tends
to point out the importance of buffalo calves and cattle as animal reservoirs of
Salmonella organisms in this country. All these types are infective to man. The
countries in which statistics of outbreaks of food poisoning are available, Salm.
typhimurium, Salm. enteritidis and Salm. newport are reported to account for more
than 80 per cent of the total number of outbreaks. Salm. dublin and Salm. Chester
have also been responsible for a small proportion of outbreaks [Wilson and Miles,
1955]. There is ample evidence to show that adult cattle after clinical recovery
from salmonellosis remain carriers and continue to excrete Salmonella organisms
in their faeces for indefinite periods. Although the real distribution of the types
isolated in this investigation remains obscure, yet it would appear that adult cattle
and buffaloes constitute important animal reservoirs in this country. In view of
the importance of the members of the Salmonella group in human and veterinary
pathology it is highly desirable to extend the investigation to other areas of this
vast country so as to make the findings more representative in character.
SUMMARY
In 191 calves that died within three months of birth and showed gastro-
enteritis as a gross lesion, infection with various members of the Salmonella
group was encountered in 74 cases. The different types isolated were: Salm.
dublin from 45 cases, Salm. typhimurium from 11 cases, Salm. enteritidis from
4, Salm. weltevreden from 5, Salm. newport from 2, Salm. richmond from 2 and Salm.
chester, Salm. pomona, Salm. nchanga, Salm. butantan and Salm. hvittingfoss, from
one case each.
In an attempt to trace the source of infection for calves, faecal samples of 100
cows and 100 buffaloes at one farm and 100 buffaloes at another were examined for
faecal excretors. At the first farm four cows and one buffalo were found to excrete
three different types of Salmonella. All the three types i.e., Salm. pomona, Salm.
richmond and Salm. hvittingfoss, have been recorded from cases in calves.
The importance of isolation of such a variety of Salmonella types from calves is
discussed from public health point of view,