[Listeria abortions in cattle--bacteriology, serology and epizootiology]

Listeria abortions were established in foetuses of cattle in 1.2% of the cases investigated in the Erfurt region and 1.8% in the Cottbus region from 1984 to 1989. The isolated strains have been found biochemically to be L. monocytogenes. The serological discrimination revealed a majority of serovar O I, II. Typing by phages of a part of isolated strains showed a clear predominance of code number 000 124 by the 1/2 a isolate (corresponds to O I, II). This type of phages seems to have a epizootiological importance. Listeria abortions were found in (a lot of 63) flocks in the Erfurt region. Nevertheless there were almost no accumulations of listeria abortions and listeria encephalitis at the same time in the analysed flocks.