St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-08-22
Abortion in Cattle

Abortion in Cattle.
P. w. Allen of the division of bac-
teriology of the University of Illinois
makes the following suggestions in
the Holstein Fresian World regarding
contagious abortion in dairy cattle:
Abortions among dairy COWS are
due either to an accident or to a germ.
The amount Of loss due to the former
cause is slight, while abortion due to
the germ, that is, infectious abortion,
within the last few years, has resulted
in one of the most serious losses suf-
fered by the dairymen. 1t is a great
misfortune to the dairyman that while
this trouble is prevalent and increas-
ing in all parts of the country where
cows are kept, as vet no effective
treatment has been developed and the
control of the disease is greatly ham,
pered by knowledge of just how the
disease is most often spread.
The disease is characterized by the
dropping of the calf prematurely, due
to an infectious catarrh of the womb
caused by the abortion germ.
Abortion may take place any time
from the third month to within a few
days of the completion of the term,
most commonly during the fourth and
fifth months of pregnancy. Some
times the fetus is retained in the
uterus and becomes mummified. That
is, the dead fetus dries up in the
membrane surrounding it, and may
be carried for months beyond the nor
NAL period. Cows which have aborted
once develop enough immunity to the
disease to carry the calf longer the
second year than the first, and the
third year they will usually complete
the term and give birth to healthy
calves and show no i'll effects of the
disease. Still such COWS are not as
good as sound animals since they may
still carry the germ and can infect
other cattle.
Cows infected for the first time of
ten carry the calf but three months
and the expelled fetus may be easily
removed with the manure and bed
ding unnoticed. However, when the
fetus is carried the greater part of the
term, a yellowish discharge usually
occurs. Also, all the signs of calving
will begin to develop prematurely.
Retention of the afterbirth usually ac-
companies an abortion where the
fetus has been carried from seven to
nearly nine months 1t is considered
that the very unhealthy condition
which necessarily accompanies the re-
tention of the afterbirth often results
in sterility. In purchasing animals
the best means of getting information
as to their infection with the abortion
germ is to have the blood Of the COW
tested. This method of detecting the
disease has not become commonly
used by dairymen, as no wide cam
paign for controlling the disease has
been started.
1t is quite generally accepted that
the modes of the spread Of the dis
ease are by the BULL by the vaginal
discharge and by the milk. The oc-
currence of abortion in cows having
been served by the same bull has re-
peated itself SO often that this mode
OF transmission has been assumed.
That the characteristic yelloWish dis
charge from aborting COWS will cause
the disease has been definitely proved,
Not enough is known about the spread
of abortion at present to satisfactorily
control it. There is no cure for the
disease known. Many who wish to
sell a remedy have taken advantage of
the fact that COW will develop an
immunity in from one to three years
and thus cure herself, the remedy Of
ten getting the credit for the cure
where this fact is not understood. The
best recommendation for the control
of the disease seem to be:
1. Isolate infected cows and bring
up their calves on the milk of the
COWS known to be unaffected.
2. Disinfect the navel of the new
born calf from an infected mother.
3. Burn or bury in lime the fetus
and afterbirthi and disinfect stable
and all litter after an abortion.
4. Wash thoroughly the hindquar-
tiers of an aberting COW and irrigate
the vaginal tract with a good anti
septic daily until all signs Of dis
charge have passed.
5. Disinfect the bull before and
after every service
6. Add new animals to a sound
herd as calves only.
Z. Keep clean animals and clean
stalls.