[The Corynebacterium pyogenes infection in cattle. 1. Incidence of the pathogen]

Reported are the incidence of Corynebacterium pyogenes together with different pathological changes as well as the existence of latent Corynebacterium pyogenes infections and their widespread occurrence. Corynebacterium pyogenes was established from 609 in 2,130 samples of pathological processes, accounting for 28.6%. The pathogen was cultivated from various processes, including enlarged tail lymph nodes (61.1%), tail phlegmons (56.3%), abscesses (49.1%), epiphysiolyses (45.2%), liver abscesses (31.8%), panaritia at beginning of fattening (20.5%), aborted foetuses (14.9%), foetal membranes in cases of incarcerated placenta (12.0%), and panaritia on end of fattening (3.4%). The same pathogenic microorganism was recorded from nine per cent of apparently intact heifer udders, before pasturing. Corynebacterium pyogenes was cultivated also from nasal mucous membrane (8.4%) and retropharyngeal lymph nodes (37.2%). The highest detection rate was 71.6%, obtained from the tonsils.