[Clinical and hematological studies in experimental Corynebacterium infection in sheep]

Investigation were carried out with 24 sheep divided into groups of 12 animals each. The first group was subjected to the intrajoint infection via the lateral recess of the tarsum, using 2 cm3 of a 24-hour broth culture of Corynebacterium pyogenes for each animal, and the second one--to the i/v injection of 2 to 4 cm3 of the same broth culture. The clinical state and the morphologic changes in the blood were followed up in the course of 28 days. It was found that with such experimental suppurative surgical infection, caused by Corynebacterium pyogenes, there set in changes in the body temperature, and the pulse and respiration rates regardless of the route of infection. Both the haemoglobin and the erythrocyte count dropped, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate rose, and the latter was found to be due to the change in the total erythrocyte count. The intrajoint infection of the sheep led the rise of the total leukocyte count, while the i/v infection lowered it. Both test groups displayed aneosinophilia, neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and rise of the monocyte count, which depended on the way of infection and its clinical course. The suppurative surgical infection caused by intrajoint introduction of these bacteria set in at a slower rate and lasted for a longer time as against the single i/v infection.