Novel Propionibacterium infection in cattle

Abstract

In mid 1997, as part of the monitoring for bovine tuberculosis, under NGSP, an abnormally high condemnation rate, for both whole and part carcases with granulomatous lesions was observed from a line of cattle at slaughter from one north Queensland property. The granulomas submitted for investigation, contained caseous contents, were both numerous and often large, and were found in many sites and organs. The lesions were unlike those caused by Actinomyces bovis, Rhodococcus equi, Mycobacterium bovis and fungi both in their size, distribution and content. The number of lesions, and their widespread location throughout the carcase, the number of organs affected and the extent of condemnations combined with the lack of any previous record of such a syndrome in north Queensland cattle, initiated the following investigation.