Isolation of Propionibacterium acnes from a case of placentitis and abortion in a cow

On the basis of the scarcity of reports in the veterinary literature, it appears that Propionibacterium spp. are rarely associated with disease or isolated from cattle tissues. Recently, Propionibacterium spp. has been associated with multifocal abscessation in cattle. This report describes a case of necrosuppurative placentitis and abortion in an adult Holstein cow. Numerous colonies of small, pleomorphic, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria were observed within the fibrin lattice associated with placental lesions and within the fetal atelectatic lung. Propionibacterium acnes was isolated in high numbers from the placenta, fetal lung, and stomach contents. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of placentitis associated with propionibacteria in a cow.