Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-21
CONTAGIOUS ABORTION.
One of the Most Destructive of Ami
 nal Scourees.

This disease has been known for many years, both in this country and in Europe, as one of the most des- tructive of animal scourges. IL Strikes at the beginning of life and thus theatens the very foundation of the dairy industry. Besides cau5in2 the death of the calf it lessens the value of the mother both for milk pI oduc- tion and for breeding. The annual loss from conta gious abortion in the United States is estimated to De at least twenty-five million dollars. In Connecticut today it probably causes greater loss to our dairymen than bovine tuberculosis and is as widely distributed. Few herds of any con- siderable size are entirely free from it.
 explosive outbreaks which threaten ruin. After a time it appears lo be under control and the hops is ex- pressed that it has completely burned itself out or has been 'cured" by some medical treatment or disinfeCrion. But herds once infected seldom if ever get rid of the disease under the treat ments hitherto adopted. Herds or individuals which have recovered" are generally carriers of the disease even if themselves immune aid may at any time through the bull or in other ways transmit the disease 10 non-immune stock and thus stat an
 other outbreak. It is quite certain that many cows do not abort although carrying the germ of the disease. They are nevertheless as grave a menace to other cows as are those which themselves abort.
 There is at present no known ren- edy for contagious abortion Such preventive measures as attempted sterilization of the sheath of the male and treatment of the genital organs Of cows which have aborted and their separation from the herd until all signs of an abnormal condition are gone and strict cleanliness in nc barn no doubt greatly help in confinfng the disease to the originally affected an- imals but in the hands of subord1nates often are ineffective and even with the utmost skill and care entile reR- ance cannot be placed on them.
 Fortunately the first of these meas ures for eradicating the disease is now possible. The prompt detection of cows which are carriers of the dis ease, whether such animals are inn mune from its effects or not, is now quite easy.
 Two blood tests have been devised by others and have been studied by the Storrs Station for the fast two years under the cooperation of pr. Rettger, bacteriologist, and Professor White of the Dairy Department, with results which are not only encourag- ing, but which most conclusively prove that the tests are accurate and relia- ble.
 Dairy animals of all ages and breeds have been tested by these two meth ods, some of them at regular inter- vals, and with few exceptions the tests have been fully corrobora ,ed by each other and by the results where practical evidence has been availa ble ble means of distinguishing infected
 from uninfected animals of any ago whether they have shown the physi- cal evidence of abortion or not The Station is now studying the other questions whose early solution | is imperative in order the effectively combat this scourage.
 Of these the following seem now
 the most important:
 l. Are calves which are born oi l infected mothers themselves affected with the germ of the disease? z. If the disease is directly trans | mitted to the offspring does tine cali
 remain permanently infected, or does | 1t free itself so far as external man. | lfestatfons and blood tests indicate: 3. If the disease is not directly transmitted what are the chances ot
 infection through (a) contact and association with an infected mother ] or other cows, (b) the consumption oi | infected, unpasteurized milk or other | food.
 A. What are the most critical per | iods in the life of an animal, in SC ] far as acquiring the disease is con-
 cerned?