Experimental infection of calves and sheep with Leptospira interrogans serovar balcanica

Two of four calves inoculated with Leptospira interrogans serovar balcanica developed low microscopic agglutinating (MA) titres to serovar hardjo. A third calf had an MA titre of 1:1024 by day 19 post-inoculation (PI). Transient leptospiruria was recorded in one calf on days 12 and 13 PI. An in-contact calf did not seroconvert. None of the calves had fever or other clinical signs of disease. Four ewes inoculated with balcanica developed MA titres to hardjo by day 13 PI, and a transient leptospiruria between days 14 and 25 PI. None of the ewes showed any evidence of clinical disease and three of them delivered healthy lambs 22 to 64 days PI. One ewe had mild lesions of focal interstitial nephritis.