Haematological investigation of a multiple case leucosis herd

Adult cattle in a Queensland dairy herd with a history of deaths from lymphosarcoma were sampled regularly over a 4 year period for the identification of animals with persistent lymphocytosis (PL). Twenty-one of 94 animals that were sampled at least 6 times had PL. At the initial sampling 27% of the animals had lymphocytosis. Culling of haematologically positive animals in the first 18 months of the investigation reduced this to 5.3%, but cessation of the culling programme resulted in a gradual increase in the percentage of animals with lymphocytosis. Four deaths from lymphosarcoma occurred in adult animals, but only in the first 18 months of the investigation. Two of these animals had lymphocytosis and two lymphoblastic leukaemia. The calf of one of the latter cows developed lymphoblastic leukaemia and lymphosarcoma by the time it was 6 months of age. Although histological evidence of lymphosarcoma was lacking in a number of clinically normal animals with lymphocytosis, haematological investigation identified a group of animals within the herd that may develop lymphosarcoma.