Studies on mastites in sheep, caused by Coxiella burnetii

Five enzootics of Coxiella burnetii - induced mass mastitis in sheep were discovered in Bulgaria. Employed were the methods of isolation and cultivation of Coxiella in chicken embryos (CE), cell cultures (CC), guinea pigs, mice, light and electron microscopy, direct immunofluorescence, complement fixation test and clinical studies. Five strains of C.burnetii were isolate from milk secretions. The strains were identified morphologically and serologically. The patogenic properties of the isolates for CE, CC, guinea pigs, mice and rabbits were investigated. Serologically, 87 (56, 86%) of the examined 153 diseased sheep from five settlements in three districts were positive for coxiellosis with titres >= P 128 (41, 16016), >= 1:32 (72, 74%) and a mean geometrical titre of 49. The observed C. burnetii mastites had as characteristic of mass outbreaks of clinically defined illness that showed the tendency of progressive symptoms decline, severe inflammation of the milk gland, disappearance of the milk secretion, and general intoxication leading to death of some animals.