Listeriosis in an Egyptian dairy cow herd inseminated with infected frozen semen with Listeria monocytogenes

ABSTRACT

An Egyptian dairy farm [557 cows] located in lower Egypt in Sharkia governorate was subjected to clinical and laboratory investigation following a continuous complain, represented mainly in low fertility rate. This farm used infected frozen semen with L. monocytogenes in artificial insemination. Listeriosis was diagnosed in different cows showed the typical reproductive and septicaemic form of the disease, also pigeons bred in the farm showed the typical nervous signs of circling disease. L. monocytogenes was isolated from 3 out of 12 soil samples taken from different areas from the farm. In addition, L. monocytogenes was isolated from the intestinal contents of apparently normal cows. Fourty isolates from cows, pigeons and soil, along with imported frozen semen were serotyped and all of them belonged to serovar 4 b and all isolates were pathogenic for white mcie