Bovine abortions due to the rare Salmonella serovars Kingston and Kedougou

Two aborted bovine fetuses were submitted (6 mo apart) with portions of their chorioallantois for postmortem examination. In both cases, microscopic examination revealed large numbers of gram-negative bacilli in the chorionic vessels and, to a lesser extent, in capillaries and venules of fetal organs of one fetus; the bacteria were not associated with noticeable inflammation or necrosis. Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Kingston was isolated from the placenta, abomasal contents, lung, and liver in case 1; Salmonella serovar Kedougou was isolated from the abomasal contents, lung, and liver in case 2. Both are rare serovars that have been isolated from various species but are not known to cause clinical disease in cattle, and, to our knowledge, have not been reported as the cause of abortion in dairy cattle.