ACUTE BACILLUS CEREUS MASTITIS IN DAIRY CATTLE ASSOCIATED WITH USE OF A CONTAMINATED ANTIBIOTIC D. Perrin, J. Greenfield and G. E. Ward*
INTRODUCTION
SCHIEFER et al (5) list various reports of Bacillus cereus as the cause of acute gangrenous mastitis. The mode of infection was by introduction of the organism either through antibiotic treatment, surgery or teat injuries. Jasper et al (4) reported the occurrence of 20 cases of mastitis associated with antibiotic treatment during the dry period. This report describes the clinical observations and bacteriological findings in cases of mastitis caused by Bacillus cereus in which the antibiotic was used primarily during lactation. HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS The herd consisted of 140 well managed Holstein cows (lactating and dry) with no serious mastitis problems. An antibiotic therapy program using cloxacillin1 in 67 cows was initiated in December 1973, and extended for about three months, as part of a herd
health program.
An acute severe mastitis occurred in 62 of the 67 cows infused with cloxacillin. Of 25 that were infused during the dry period 11 developed severe mastitis (average 24 days later, range two to 94 days) and the 14 remaining cows were milked during the dry period in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the development of mastitis. Thirty-three cows were infused during lactation and developed mastitis one to 30 days later, the majority within one to three days. Four cows were infused during both dry and lactating periods and developed mastitis. Five animals infused with cloxacillin did not develop mastitis. Bacillus cereus was isolated from the milk of several cows; a bacterin was prepared and given to the remaining animals. Of 21 cows
*Creston, British Columbia (Perrin), Veterinary Laboratory, British Columbia Department of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia (Greenfield) and Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Ward). 1Orbenin, (cloxacillin, 8 g in each 9 ml dose), Ayerst Labs, Montreal, Quebec.
not vaccinated six died suddenly and 15 cows survived, but were eventually culled and slaughtered. Forty-one cows were vaccinated, developed mastitis of less severe nature, but were eventually culled from the herd because of poor milk production and recurrent mastitis. The following case histories of four cows illustrate the nature of the outbreak. Cow No. 1 was infused 28 and 23 days before parturition with cloxacillin in all four quarters. Approximately 12 hours after parturition when a small amount of milk was removed from the udder to reduce tension, no signs of mastitis were noticed. Twelve hours later all quarters were hard and painful, and contained a reddish serous exudate. The hind quarters were cold. The temperature was 37.80 C, the rumen was static and there was a severe diarrhea. The cow became unsteady, collapsed and was unable to rise. Twenty liters of balanced electrolyte solution and chloramphenicol2 (12 mg/kg) were administered intravenously. The cow failed to respond and died 30 hours after parturition. Post mortem examination revealed scarlet-colored mammary glands surrounded by gelatinous material and filled with serosanguineous fluid. Mammary lymph nodes were wet in appearance and surrounded by gelatinous material. Cow No. 2 was a five year old which had finished her second lactation with no history of mastitis. During the dry period she was vaccinated with a B. cereus bacterin and all quarters were infused with cloxacillin. Five days later the udder contained a red, watery secretion and B. cereus was isolated from the secretion. Chloramphenicol (12 mg/kg) was administered intravenously, mammaly secretion was removed and nitrofurazone3 was infused twice daily until-parturition (12 days). At this time the milk appeared normal, California Mastitis test was negative and mammary gland examination revealed no evidence of inflammation. Fifteen days later the milk became 2Rogarmycin, (chlyoramphenicol 100 mg/ml), Rogar/STB, Dorval, Quebec. 3Furacin, (nitrofurazone 6 g in each 30 ml dose), Austin Labs, Ltd. Paris, Ontario. 244
CAN. VET. JOUR., vol. 17, no. 9, September, 1976
MASTITIS
pink but no clots were visible. Nitrofurazone, penicillin and prednisolone4 (NPP) were infused into all quarters. The next day she refused to eat and the mammary gland was swollen and firm. Chloramphenicol treatment was resumed until symptoms subsided. This cow had frequent recurrence of mastitis later and was sent to slaughter four months after parturition. Cow No. 3 began her first lactation on May 27, 1973. In January 1974 when mild signs of mastitis were noticed, the mammary gland was infused with cloxacillin with apparent reFIGURE 1. Bacillus cereus mastitis (Cow No. covery. This cow's lactation was terminated on March 20, 1974. The day following parturi- 3) three days after parturition. Right hand quartion (September 30, 1974) the right hind ter is enlarged and dark colored. quarter was very hard and contained only serous, red fluid. She refused to eat but was not seriously depressed. Rectal temperature was 39.5° C and feces were slightly diarrheic. Chloramphenicol was injected intravenously (12 mg/kg) twice daily. Milk from the cow yielded B. cereus on culture. In the succeeding days the mammary gland became cold, black and started to slough. However, the cow later began to eat and was kept for 50 days before being sent to slaughter. The accompanying photographs (Figures 1, 2 and 3) are of this cow. Cow No. 4 was five years old and had finFIGURE 2. Bacillus cereus mastitis two weeks ished her second lactation without evidence of mastitis when cloxacillin was infused into after parturition. Note area of sloughed tissue. all four mammary glands. Milking was initiated on March 13, 1973 (before parturition) in an attempt to prevent mastitis. The milk appeared red-tinged and was submitted for culture. Bacillus cereus was recovered from the left front and the left hind quarters. At this time penicillin and streptomycin were injected IM and infused into each quarter. This treatment was continued daily until March 24 when the symptoms disappeared. At this time nitrofurazone was infused into the mammary gland and chloramphenicol was injected intravenously. At parturition (March 30), the milk was normal except for a slight reddish hue and B. cereus bacterin was administered. ChlorFIGuRE 3. Bacillus cereus mastitis three weeks amphenicol and nitrofurazone treatment was after parturition. Note partial resolution of lesion. continued for five days after parturition. She produced a reduced volume of apparently ment with NPP, she remained in the herd but normal milk until June 16; then the left hind at low production with evidence of fibrosis quarter showed signs of mastitis with watery and repeated occurrences of mastitis. and reddish milk. After infusion of NPP into all quarters, the mastitis subsided but returned Bacteriology Tissues and milk were examined at the again on July 22. Following a second treatVeterinary Laboratory, Abbotsford, B.C. and 4Nitropak, (nitrofurazone 20 mg, penicillin the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, 100,000 units, prednisolone 10 mg), Rogar/STB, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan using standard methods (1, 6). Tissues and milk were inoculated Dorval, Quebec. A.
245
CANADIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL
onto blood and MacConkey agar and incubated at 350 C in air, anaerobically and in 5% CO2. Bacterial contamination of cloxacillin (Lot L 3281-RH) was determined by removing 1 ml from an unopened 250 ml vial and inoculating into 100 ml tryptocase soy broth.5 After 24 hours incubation at 350 C in air, broth was spread onto blood agar plates and organisms identified using standard technics (1, 6). Culture of cloxacillin revealed the presence of B. cereus in one of three aliquots examined. Bacteriological examination of milk samples and tissue samples of cows in the acute stage of the disease revealed presence of Bacillus cereus: Gram positive rod; motile; oval, central to subterminal spores which did not distend the cell; growth at 25, 37 and 420 C; hemolysins produced; catalase produced; litmus milk reduced in 48 hours and peptonized; Voges-Proskauer test positive; indole not produced; methylene-blue negative; starch not hydrolysed; dextrose, maltose, salicin, sucrose acid but not gas produced; anaerobic glucose, good growth; arabinose, lactose, mannitol, xylose not fermented. Antibiotic susceptibility testing indicated resistance to: ampicillin, penicillin, streptomycin and sensitivity to tetracycline, neomycin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, sulfonamides, gentamycin and erythromycin.
Bacillus cereus bacterin was made from the field isolant by incubating for 18 hours in brain-heart infusion broth.5 Broth was sedimented, supernatant discarded, sediment resuspended in 0.85% saline with 0.25% formaldehyde. The bacterin was tested for sterility then diluted to MacFarland No. 3. The bacterin was administered in 10 ml dosage subcutaneously. DISCUSSION Bacillus cereus is usually not incriminated as a highly pathogenic agent. Some strains may produce exotoxin which has been reported to cause food poisoning in man (2). Jasper et al (4) reported that udders infused early in the dry period with contaminated antibiotics did not develop mastitis until lactation began. It seems probable that the bacteria do not multiply rapidly in the inactive gland where nutrients may be unavailable or other conditions unsuitable. Bacilltis cereuis is a spore former and can remain dormant for long periods of time. Spores can withstand exposure to many environmental conditions
5Difco, Detroit, Michigan. 246
which destroy the vegetative cell. They may be undamaged by antibiotics or disinfectants. The disease observed in this outbreak of B. cereus mastitis is similar to the reports of others (3, 4). The disease usually occurs as the result of injection of B. cereus into the teat cistern when treating mastitis of other causes. Contaminated antibiotics, teat tubes, syringes and dilators have been described as the source of infection. Both gangrenous inflammation and acute mastitis with systemic involvement have been reported. The secretion was serous and frequently contained erythrocytes, fibrin and leukocytes (3). The investigation showed that a biological product contaminated with very low numbers of B. cereus can produce profound pathogenic effects when introduced into the lactating mammary gland. Drug manufacturers must maintain high standards of quality control to ensure the sterility of marketed products. SUMMARY Severe mastitis resulted from the intramammary infusion of a commercial cloxacillin preparation in 62 of 67 cows in a single herd. The disease was characterized by severe swelling and serosanguineous exudation in mammary glands. The disease frequently progressed rapidly to gangrene with sloughing of affected tissues. Of the 62 animals affected six died and the remainder survived but were subsequently culled and slaughtered due to recurrent mastitis, inadequate milk production and loss of weight. Clinical findings of four representative animals are presented. Bacillus cereus was cultured from milk samples of affected cows and from the cloxacillin infusion product. A bacterin containing the organism was administered to 41 cows. Less severe disease occurred in vaccinated cows. RESUME L'infusion intra-mammaire d'une preparation commerciale de cloxacilline a provoque une mammite grave chez 62 des 67 vaches traitees avec cet antibiotique, dans un troupeau qui en comptait 140. Cette nammite se caracterisait par une hypertrophie marquee du pis et par un exsudat sero-sanguinolent, au sein des glandes mammaires. Chez plusieurs vaches, l'affection evolua rapidement vers la gangrene, avec chute des tissus necroses. Six des 62 vaches atteintes de mammite moururent; les autres survecurent, mais il fallut eventuellement les eliminer du troupeau et les faire
MASTITIS
abattre pour les raisons suivantes: mammite recurrente, pietre production lactee et perte de poids. Les auteurs presentent les observations cliniques typiques qu'ils noterent chez quatre vaches. Ils reussirent aussi a isoler Bacillus cereus a partir d'echantillons de lait preleves chez les vaches atteintes de mammite et de la cloxacilline en cause. Ils vaccinerent 41 vaches a l'aide d'une bacterine preparee avec le microbe. Cette intervention se traduisit par une diminution de la gravite de la mammite.
REFERENCES 1. CARTER, G. R. Diagnostic Procedures in Veterinary Microbiology, Second Edition. Springfield, Illinois: C. C. Thomas. 1973. 2. GLANTZ, B. A., W. M. SPIRA and J. M. GOEPPERT. Alteration of vascular permeability in rabbits by culture filtrates of Bacillus cereus and related species. Infection & Immunity 10: 229-303. 1974. 3. HEIDRICK, H. J. and W. RENK. Diseases of the Mammary Glands of Domestic Animals. pp. 224-225. Philadelphia and London: W. B.
Saunders.
4. JASPER, D. E., R. B. BUSCHNELL and J. D. DELLINGER. Bovine mastitis due to Bacillus cereus. J. Am. vet. med. Ass. 160: 750-756. 1972. 5. SCHIEFER, B., K. R. MAcDONALD, G. G. KLAVANO and A. A. VAN DREUMEL. Pathology of Bacillus cereus mastitis in dairy cows. Can. vet. J. 17: 1976. 6. SMITH, N. R. and R. E. GORDON. Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, Seventh Edition. R. S. Breed, E. G. D. Murray and N. R. Smith, Editors. Baltimore: William and Wilkins Co. 1957.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For confirming the identity of Bacillus cereus isolates, the authors thank Dr. Ruth E. Gordon, Rutgers University, New Jersey, Dr. A. W. Jackson, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Ottawa, Ontario and Dr. Delfo Syeklocha, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia. For photographs and field observations we thank Dr. M. Saville, Field Veterinarian, British Columbia Department of Agriculture.
ANALYSE DE VOLUME / BOOK REVIEW Handbook of Veterinary Drugs. A Compendium for Research and Clinical Use. I. S. Rossoff. Published by Springer, New York. 1975. 730 pages. Price $42.50.
to the calibre of a text exposed to frequent consultation. Its high price may be a deterrent to its purchase by students. To sum up, this book is a unique source of sound and practical information on applied pharmacology that will save hours of troublesome and costly search through many books and articles.
After some delays, indicated by the discrepancy between the publication (1975) and the copyright (1974) dates, Dr. Rossoff has produced a new tool for the biomedical profes9 9 sions: this handbook of veterinary drugs. This Ce livre presente succintement des reninnovative book succeeds in presenting useful pharmacotherapeutic information in a concise seignements pharmaco-therapeutiques tres utiles concernant un tres grand nombre de manner. The drugs, new and traditional, are listed medicaments sous leur nom g6nerique ainsi alphabetically in the text by their generic que sous leur marque de commerce equivanames, while the index adds the trade or lente. L'arrangement est alphabetique dans le chemical and even the numerical names. A texte (nom generique) avec un index qui commost useful and practical feature for clinicians prend les preparations commerciales. Le fait de donner les indications et les and laboratory workers are the indications and contraindications of drugs and their dosage for contre-indications d'un grand nombre de prothe common animal species. The consistent duits pharmaceutiques employes chez plusieurs direct approach of the text will appeal to the especes animales rend ce volume tres utile au busy professional world always appreciative of praticien en medecine g6nerale et au chercheur en medecine experimentale. succinct and crisp written material. En resume, ce traite est complet et pratique; It annoyed us that the inner binding of the cover deteriorated too rapidly. A book of this on peut cependant le trouver un peu co'uteutx. price should be provided with a binding peered R. Pelletier et L. P. Phaneuf. 247
INTRODUCTION
SCHIEFER et al (5) list various reports of Bacillus cereus as the cause of acute gangrenous mastitis. The mode of infection was by introduction of the organism either through antibiotic treatment, surgery or teat injuries. Jasper et al (4) reported the occurrence of 20 cases of mastitis associated with antibiotic treatment during the dry period. This report describes the clinical observations and bacteriological findings in cases of mastitis caused by Bacillus cereus in which the antibiotic was used primarily during lactation. HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS The herd consisted of 140 well managed Holstein cows (lactating and dry) with no serious mastitis problems. An antibiotic therapy program using cloxacillin1 in 67 cows was initiated in December 1973, and extended for about three months, as part of a herd
health program.
An acute severe mastitis occurred in 62 of the 67 cows infused with cloxacillin. Of 25 that were infused during the dry period 11 developed severe mastitis (average 24 days later, range two to 94 days) and the 14 remaining cows were milked during the dry period in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the development of mastitis. Thirty-three cows were infused during lactation and developed mastitis one to 30 days later, the majority within one to three days. Four cows were infused during both dry and lactating periods and developed mastitis. Five animals infused with cloxacillin did not develop mastitis. Bacillus cereus was isolated from the milk of several cows; a bacterin was prepared and given to the remaining animals. Of 21 cows
*Creston, British Columbia (Perrin), Veterinary Laboratory, British Columbia Department of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia (Greenfield) and Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Ward). 1Orbenin, (cloxacillin, 8 g in each 9 ml dose), Ayerst Labs, Montreal, Quebec.
not vaccinated six died suddenly and 15 cows survived, but were eventually culled and slaughtered. Forty-one cows were vaccinated, developed mastitis of less severe nature, but were eventually culled from the herd because of poor milk production and recurrent mastitis. The following case histories of four cows illustrate the nature of the outbreak. Cow No. 1 was infused 28 and 23 days before parturition with cloxacillin in all four quarters. Approximately 12 hours after parturition when a small amount of milk was removed from the udder to reduce tension, no signs of mastitis were noticed. Twelve hours later all quarters were hard and painful, and contained a reddish serous exudate. The hind quarters were cold. The temperature was 37.80 C, the rumen was static and there was a severe diarrhea. The cow became unsteady, collapsed and was unable to rise. Twenty liters of balanced electrolyte solution and chloramphenicol2 (12 mg/kg) were administered intravenously. The cow failed to respond and died 30 hours after parturition. Post mortem examination revealed scarlet-colored mammary glands surrounded by gelatinous material and filled with serosanguineous fluid. Mammary lymph nodes were wet in appearance and surrounded by gelatinous material. Cow No. 2 was a five year old which had finished her second lactation with no history of mastitis. During the dry period she was vaccinated with a B. cereus bacterin and all quarters were infused with cloxacillin. Five days later the udder contained a red, watery secretion and B. cereus was isolated from the secretion. Chloramphenicol (12 mg/kg) was administered intravenously, mammaly secretion was removed and nitrofurazone3 was infused twice daily until-parturition (12 days). At this time the milk appeared normal, California Mastitis test was negative and mammary gland examination revealed no evidence of inflammation. Fifteen days later the milk became 2Rogarmycin, (chlyoramphenicol 100 mg/ml), Rogar/STB, Dorval, Quebec. 3Furacin, (nitrofurazone 6 g in each 30 ml dose), Austin Labs, Ltd. Paris, Ontario. 244
CAN. VET. JOUR., vol. 17, no. 9, September, 1976
MASTITIS
pink but no clots were visible. Nitrofurazone, penicillin and prednisolone4 (NPP) were infused into all quarters. The next day she refused to eat and the mammary gland was swollen and firm. Chloramphenicol treatment was resumed until symptoms subsided. This cow had frequent recurrence of mastitis later and was sent to slaughter four months after parturition. Cow No. 3 began her first lactation on May 27, 1973. In January 1974 when mild signs of mastitis were noticed, the mammary gland was infused with cloxacillin with apparent reFIGURE 1. Bacillus cereus mastitis (Cow No. covery. This cow's lactation was terminated on March 20, 1974. The day following parturi- 3) three days after parturition. Right hand quartion (September 30, 1974) the right hind ter is enlarged and dark colored. quarter was very hard and contained only serous, red fluid. She refused to eat but was not seriously depressed. Rectal temperature was 39.5° C and feces were slightly diarrheic. Chloramphenicol was injected intravenously (12 mg/kg) twice daily. Milk from the cow yielded B. cereus on culture. In the succeeding days the mammary gland became cold, black and started to slough. However, the cow later began to eat and was kept for 50 days before being sent to slaughter. The accompanying photographs (Figures 1, 2 and 3) are of this cow. Cow No. 4 was five years old and had finFIGURE 2. Bacillus cereus mastitis two weeks ished her second lactation without evidence of mastitis when cloxacillin was infused into after parturition. Note area of sloughed tissue. all four mammary glands. Milking was initiated on March 13, 1973 (before parturition) in an attempt to prevent mastitis. The milk appeared red-tinged and was submitted for culture. Bacillus cereus was recovered from the left front and the left hind quarters. At this time penicillin and streptomycin were injected IM and infused into each quarter. This treatment was continued daily until March 24 when the symptoms disappeared. At this time nitrofurazone was infused into the mammary gland and chloramphenicol was injected intravenously. At parturition (March 30), the milk was normal except for a slight reddish hue and B. cereus bacterin was administered. ChlorFIGuRE 3. Bacillus cereus mastitis three weeks amphenicol and nitrofurazone treatment was after parturition. Note partial resolution of lesion. continued for five days after parturition. She produced a reduced volume of apparently ment with NPP, she remained in the herd but normal milk until June 16; then the left hind at low production with evidence of fibrosis quarter showed signs of mastitis with watery and repeated occurrences of mastitis. and reddish milk. After infusion of NPP into all quarters, the mastitis subsided but returned Bacteriology Tissues and milk were examined at the again on July 22. Following a second treatVeterinary Laboratory, Abbotsford, B.C. and 4Nitropak, (nitrofurazone 20 mg, penicillin the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, 100,000 units, prednisolone 10 mg), Rogar/STB, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan using standard methods (1, 6). Tissues and milk were inoculated Dorval, Quebec. A.
245
CANADIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL
onto blood and MacConkey agar and incubated at 350 C in air, anaerobically and in 5% CO2. Bacterial contamination of cloxacillin (Lot L 3281-RH) was determined by removing 1 ml from an unopened 250 ml vial and inoculating into 100 ml tryptocase soy broth.5 After 24 hours incubation at 350 C in air, broth was spread onto blood agar plates and organisms identified using standard technics (1, 6). Culture of cloxacillin revealed the presence of B. cereus in one of three aliquots examined. Bacteriological examination of milk samples and tissue samples of cows in the acute stage of the disease revealed presence of Bacillus cereus: Gram positive rod; motile; oval, central to subterminal spores which did not distend the cell; growth at 25, 37 and 420 C; hemolysins produced; catalase produced; litmus milk reduced in 48 hours and peptonized; Voges-Proskauer test positive; indole not produced; methylene-blue negative; starch not hydrolysed; dextrose, maltose, salicin, sucrose acid but not gas produced; anaerobic glucose, good growth; arabinose, lactose, mannitol, xylose not fermented. Antibiotic susceptibility testing indicated resistance to: ampicillin, penicillin, streptomycin and sensitivity to tetracycline, neomycin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, sulfonamides, gentamycin and erythromycin.
Bacillus cereus bacterin was made from the field isolant by incubating for 18 hours in brain-heart infusion broth.5 Broth was sedimented, supernatant discarded, sediment resuspended in 0.85% saline with 0.25% formaldehyde. The bacterin was tested for sterility then diluted to MacFarland No. 3. The bacterin was administered in 10 ml dosage subcutaneously. DISCUSSION Bacillus cereus is usually not incriminated as a highly pathogenic agent. Some strains may produce exotoxin which has been reported to cause food poisoning in man (2). Jasper et al (4) reported that udders infused early in the dry period with contaminated antibiotics did not develop mastitis until lactation began. It seems probable that the bacteria do not multiply rapidly in the inactive gland where nutrients may be unavailable or other conditions unsuitable. Bacilltis cereuis is a spore former and can remain dormant for long periods of time. Spores can withstand exposure to many environmental conditions
5Difco, Detroit, Michigan. 246
which destroy the vegetative cell. They may be undamaged by antibiotics or disinfectants. The disease observed in this outbreak of B. cereus mastitis is similar to the reports of others (3, 4). The disease usually occurs as the result of injection of B. cereus into the teat cistern when treating mastitis of other causes. Contaminated antibiotics, teat tubes, syringes and dilators have been described as the source of infection. Both gangrenous inflammation and acute mastitis with systemic involvement have been reported. The secretion was serous and frequently contained erythrocytes, fibrin and leukocytes (3). The investigation showed that a biological product contaminated with very low numbers of B. cereus can produce profound pathogenic effects when introduced into the lactating mammary gland. Drug manufacturers must maintain high standards of quality control to ensure the sterility of marketed products. SUMMARY Severe mastitis resulted from the intramammary infusion of a commercial cloxacillin preparation in 62 of 67 cows in a single herd. The disease was characterized by severe swelling and serosanguineous exudation in mammary glands. The disease frequently progressed rapidly to gangrene with sloughing of affected tissues. Of the 62 animals affected six died and the remainder survived but were subsequently culled and slaughtered due to recurrent mastitis, inadequate milk production and loss of weight. Clinical findings of four representative animals are presented. Bacillus cereus was cultured from milk samples of affected cows and from the cloxacillin infusion product. A bacterin containing the organism was administered to 41 cows. Less severe disease occurred in vaccinated cows. RESUME L'infusion intra-mammaire d'une preparation commerciale de cloxacilline a provoque une mammite grave chez 62 des 67 vaches traitees avec cet antibiotique, dans un troupeau qui en comptait 140. Cette nammite se caracterisait par une hypertrophie marquee du pis et par un exsudat sero-sanguinolent, au sein des glandes mammaires. Chez plusieurs vaches, l'affection evolua rapidement vers la gangrene, avec chute des tissus necroses. Six des 62 vaches atteintes de mammite moururent; les autres survecurent, mais il fallut eventuellement les eliminer du troupeau et les faire
MASTITIS
abattre pour les raisons suivantes: mammite recurrente, pietre production lactee et perte de poids. Les auteurs presentent les observations cliniques typiques qu'ils noterent chez quatre vaches. Ils reussirent aussi a isoler Bacillus cereus a partir d'echantillons de lait preleves chez les vaches atteintes de mammite et de la cloxacilline en cause. Ils vaccinerent 41 vaches a l'aide d'une bacterine preparee avec le microbe. Cette intervention se traduisit par une diminution de la gravite de la mammite.
REFERENCES 1. CARTER, G. R. Diagnostic Procedures in Veterinary Microbiology, Second Edition. Springfield, Illinois: C. C. Thomas. 1973. 2. GLANTZ, B. A., W. M. SPIRA and J. M. GOEPPERT. Alteration of vascular permeability in rabbits by culture filtrates of Bacillus cereus and related species. Infection & Immunity 10: 229-303. 1974. 3. HEIDRICK, H. J. and W. RENK. Diseases of the Mammary Glands of Domestic Animals. pp. 224-225. Philadelphia and London: W. B.
Saunders.
4. JASPER, D. E., R. B. BUSCHNELL and J. D. DELLINGER. Bovine mastitis due to Bacillus cereus. J. Am. vet. med. Ass. 160: 750-756. 1972. 5. SCHIEFER, B., K. R. MAcDONALD, G. G. KLAVANO and A. A. VAN DREUMEL. Pathology of Bacillus cereus mastitis in dairy cows. Can. vet. J. 17: 1976. 6. SMITH, N. R. and R. E. GORDON. Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, Seventh Edition. R. S. Breed, E. G. D. Murray and N. R. Smith, Editors. Baltimore: William and Wilkins Co. 1957.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For confirming the identity of Bacillus cereus isolates, the authors thank Dr. Ruth E. Gordon, Rutgers University, New Jersey, Dr. A. W. Jackson, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Ottawa, Ontario and Dr. Delfo Syeklocha, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia. For photographs and field observations we thank Dr. M. Saville, Field Veterinarian, British Columbia Department of Agriculture.
ANALYSE DE VOLUME / BOOK REVIEW Handbook of Veterinary Drugs. A Compendium for Research and Clinical Use. I. S. Rossoff. Published by Springer, New York. 1975. 730 pages. Price $42.50.
to the calibre of a text exposed to frequent consultation. Its high price may be a deterrent to its purchase by students. To sum up, this book is a unique source of sound and practical information on applied pharmacology that will save hours of troublesome and costly search through many books and articles.
After some delays, indicated by the discrepancy between the publication (1975) and the copyright (1974) dates, Dr. Rossoff has produced a new tool for the biomedical profes9 9 sions: this handbook of veterinary drugs. This Ce livre presente succintement des reninnovative book succeeds in presenting useful pharmacotherapeutic information in a concise seignements pharmaco-therapeutiques tres utiles concernant un tres grand nombre de manner. The drugs, new and traditional, are listed medicaments sous leur nom g6nerique ainsi alphabetically in the text by their generic que sous leur marque de commerce equivanames, while the index adds the trade or lente. L'arrangement est alphabetique dans le chemical and even the numerical names. A texte (nom generique) avec un index qui commost useful and practical feature for clinicians prend les preparations commerciales. Le fait de donner les indications et les and laboratory workers are the indications and contraindications of drugs and their dosage for contre-indications d'un grand nombre de prothe common animal species. The consistent duits pharmaceutiques employes chez plusieurs direct approach of the text will appeal to the especes animales rend ce volume tres utile au busy professional world always appreciative of praticien en medecine g6nerale et au chercheur en medecine experimentale. succinct and crisp written material. En resume, ce traite est complet et pratique; It annoyed us that the inner binding of the cover deteriorated too rapidly. A book of this on peut cependant le trouver un peu co'uteutx. price should be provided with a binding peered R. Pelletier et L. P. Phaneuf. 247
