Bacteria Isolated from the Uterus of Cows with Foetal Membrane Retained

The aim of the study was to define the species of microorganisms isolated from the uterus of healthy cows (control group) and cows affected with foetal membrane retained (FMR) before and after an experimental therapy with the use of an immunomodulator and antibiotics versus commonly used methods (antibiotic + ß-blocker or antibiotic + PGF2α). The examinations were carried out on three farms with similar system of rearing and nutrition on 95 cows with FMR. The control group consisted of 21 cows without postpartum disturbances. Smears from the uterus were taken at 0 and the 21 d of observation. Most frequently Escherichia coli and other species of Enterobacteriaceae family were isolated. These species were stated in 67.4% of sick cows and in 47.6% of healthy cows. The degree of Arcanobacterium pyogenes infection was almost identical in healthy and sick cows (8.4 and 9.5% respectively). Streptococcus sp. was isolated from 15.8% of FMR cows and from 19% of control ones. Staphylococci were isolated from 12.6% of FMR and from 9.5% of control cows. Other bacteria species were isolated from less than 10% of the examined cows. The best elimination of infections (65%) was noted in cows treated with intrauterinary inlocations of antibiotics (neomycin and ampicillin) combined with the lysozyme dimer i.m. injection. The worst results were noted as an effect of inlocation of these antibiotics only and antibiotics combined with ß-blocker (40%). The species of bacteria in the uterus were similar in healthy and sick cows. However, on 21 day after treatment A. pyogenes was isolated only from the uterus of the sick animals. This pathogen was identified in 10 cows (83.3%) from 12 eliminated because of infertility.