By Jennifer Hopkins

“Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection of animals that is responsible for significant economic loss in livestock, particularly through abortion and stillbirth, and for zoonotic infection in people.” Floyd Jr., J. G. (n.d.). Leptospirosis in Cattle. Alabama cooperative Extension system. Retrieved April 11, 2011, from

 Microscopic bacteria  Has over 180 subclassifications called serovars  3 most common that infect cattle are Leptospira Hardjo, Leptospira Pomona, and Leptospira Grippotyphosa  Each serovar is adapted to a particular host species.  The serovar adapted to certain species tend to cause less severity in that species than in species that are not adapted to it. Ex. Serovar Pomona, the type that pigs are adapted to causes more of a severe disease in cattle because they aren’t adapted to it.  The kidney’s, liver, lungs and reproduction tract of pregnant cows can be infected Etiology medical_articles1.htm

 The infection is spread when the animal comes in contact with infected urine, urine contaminated feed, water and leptospires that penatrate mucosal surfaces and infect blood with the bacteria.  It accumulates in the urinary and reproductive tracts and gets passed in large numbers in urine in the early stages of the disease and can stop for a long periods of time then infect again later.  The spread of the infection is higher during grazing seasons  The infection is usually introduced to the herd through an addition of cattle to the herd, but can also be carried by pigs, horses and sheep.  It can also be introduced by water courses that are run through other farms  Is Zoonotic! Pathogenesis coloradod...state.edu/ prefairdisease/dz/ Leptospriosis.html

picasaweb.google.com/ lhphoto/ omMxG1BP6OOS3dSLCNNIeA n2content/view/ hM Video on pathophysiology of Lepto

 Depend on the degree of resistance or immunity within the herd  When there is adequate resistance, usually when you have good vaccination programs, some of the herd may be infected but not show signs.  With herd’s that have low resistance, the cows that are infected may show signs  There are three forms: acute, sub-acute or chronic Clinical Signs

 Often affects calves  High fever with dullness and anorexia  Jaundice  Nursing cows milk yield drops, for a week of longer the milk can be thick and yellow  there can be hemorrhaging under the mucous membranes  Hemoglobinuria  There has also been meningitis recorded  Usually death Acute

 Signs are milder  Nursing mother has reduced milk yield and is dull.  Some jaundice  Some hemoglobinuria  With some cases abortion occurs about a month later Sub- acute

 Affects pregnant cows  Causes abortions  Causes stillbirths  Birth of weak calves  Most economically important form  In dairy cows due to the mastitis there is a decrease in milk production  More cost if farmer, family member of farmer or ranch hand get infected with the disease Chronic

 Microscopic agglutination test- most common used serologic test to diagnose  Measures antibodies to leptospirosis that appear about 12 days after initial infection  Two blood samples should be taken, one close to the time of the abortion or disease as possible, then a second one about 2-3 weeks later  Immunofluorescent staining- detects organisms in tissues or fluids of aborted fetuses or others that are infected  Grow organism on culture plate-difficult and usually unsuccessful  The best way to diagnose an abortion caused by the disease is to have the aborted fetus and the placenta taken to a lab. Diagnosis fish-unit-diseases- intro/fish-nit...c-testing/fish-unit...ology.htm

 Sometimes blood transfusions help  Antibiotics: Streptomycin and Tetracyline  Treatment after an abortion is too late Treatment index.php?route=product product&product_id=60 detail.en.china.cn/ provide detail, html

 Quarantine any new cow that comes into the herd  Separate infected cows from non infected  Annual vaccinations of all serovars  Lepto vaccines in the US include 5 serovars: Hardjo, Pomona, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola, and Grippotyphosa This vaccine is known as five-way lepto vaccine  Replacement heifers and young bulls should be vaccinated twice ASAP after entering the herd  Management methods to reduce transmission from rodents and wildlife Control

1.Andrews, A. H., Blowey, R. W., & Boyd, H. (2007). Bacterial conditions, Mastitis, Fetal Loss. Bovine Medicine: Diseases and Husbandry of Cattle. (2nd ed., pp. 335,580,581,734,735). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.. 2.Animal Production, Animal Feed, Poultry and Pig Industry, Dairy Cattle, Mycotoxins, Equines. (2009, March 12). Viral & Bacterial Diseases in Beef & Dairy Cattle – Natural Products. Retrieved April 30, 2011, from 3.Floyd Jr., J. G. (n.d.). The Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Leptospirosis in cattle. Retrieved April 30, 2011, from 4.Shapiro, L. (2001). Dairy Industry. Introduction to animal science (pp. 154, 155). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Bibiliography