436
U. ULLMANN
show any symptom of disease. They are introduced into the cervicovaginal
area at oestrus when cows are served by infected bulls. The bacteria are
also pathogenic for guinea- pigs, hamsters and embryonated chicken eggs.
Not susceptible are rabbits, mice and rats. The organisms do not multiply
in the intestinal tract of animals and man, but do cause human infections.
Campylobacter fetus subspecies intestinalis causes infectious abortion
during late pregnancy and perinatal lamb abortion as well as sporadic
abortion in cattle; it is transmitted orally. This subspecies can be isolated
from faeces, bile, and blood of sheep, cattle, rabbit, guinea pig and mouse,
as well as from the intestinal contents of sparrows, starlings, magpies,
pigeons, blackbirds, chickens, and turkeys. The micro-organism also
grows in the intestinal tract and gallbladder of man.
Campylobacter fetus subspecies jejuni can be isolated from the stomach
contents and placentae of fetuses of aborted sheep. It is also detected in
faeces of normal sheep, cattle, swine, goats and various birds. The organism
produces gastroenteritis in man.
A review of literature and veterinary importance of Campylobacter sp.
was published by Winkler and Ullmann (1973).
11. TAXONOMY
Up to a few years ago C . fetus was assigned to the genus Vibrio because of
its morphological characteristics. The new taxonomic position is justified in
consequence of the microaerophilic strictly aerobic metabolism, their
failure to produce acid in media containing carbohydrates and the composition of their DNA with a (G + C) content between 29 and 36 mol%
(Sebald and Veron, 1963 ; Veron and Chatelain, 1973). Campylobacter
constitutes the genus I1 of the family Spirillaceae, comprising two species,
C. fetus and C . sputorum (Smibert, 1974). C . fetus is subdivided into three
subspecies: C. fetus subspecies fetus (Vibrio fetus var. venerealis), C. fetus
subsp. intestinalis (Vibrio fetus var. intestinalis) and C. fetus subsp. jejuni
(V. jejuni, related Vibrio spp.).
111. MORPHOLOGY
C. fetus is a Gram-negative, non-sporogenous rod, characterised by
short, comma-shaped bacteria in 48-h cultures (Fig. 1). In old cultures
(96 h) long spiral filaments appear (Fig. 2). The curved rods are 0.20.5 pm wide and 1-5-5 pm long. They have a single polar flagellum (Fig. 3)
and are very actively motile.
U. ULLMANN
show any symptom of disease. They are introduced into the cervicovaginal
area at oestrus when cows are served by infected bulls. The bacteria are
also pathogenic for guinea- pigs, hamsters and embryonated chicken eggs.
Not susceptible are rabbits, mice and rats. The organisms do not multiply
in the intestinal tract of animals and man, but do cause human infections.
Campylobacter fetus subspecies intestinalis causes infectious abortion
during late pregnancy and perinatal lamb abortion as well as sporadic
abortion in cattle; it is transmitted orally. This subspecies can be isolated
from faeces, bile, and blood of sheep, cattle, rabbit, guinea pig and mouse,
as well as from the intestinal contents of sparrows, starlings, magpies,
pigeons, blackbirds, chickens, and turkeys. The micro-organism also
grows in the intestinal tract and gallbladder of man.
Campylobacter fetus subspecies jejuni can be isolated from the stomach
contents and placentae of fetuses of aborted sheep. It is also detected in
faeces of normal sheep, cattle, swine, goats and various birds. The organism
produces gastroenteritis in man.
A review of literature and veterinary importance of Campylobacter sp.
was published by Winkler and Ullmann (1973).
11. TAXONOMY
Up to a few years ago C . fetus was assigned to the genus Vibrio because of
its morphological characteristics. The new taxonomic position is justified in
consequence of the microaerophilic strictly aerobic metabolism, their
failure to produce acid in media containing carbohydrates and the composition of their DNA with a (G + C) content between 29 and 36 mol%
(Sebald and Veron, 1963 ; Veron and Chatelain, 1973). Campylobacter
constitutes the genus I1 of the family Spirillaceae, comprising two species,
C. fetus and C . sputorum (Smibert, 1974). C . fetus is subdivided into three
subspecies: C. fetus subspecies fetus (Vibrio fetus var. venerealis), C. fetus
subsp. intestinalis (Vibrio fetus var. intestinalis) and C. fetus subsp. jejuni
(V. jejuni, related Vibrio spp.).
111. MORPHOLOGY
C. fetus is a Gram-negative, non-sporogenous rod, characterised by
short, comma-shaped bacteria in 48-h cultures (Fig. 1). In old cultures
(96 h) long spiral filaments appear (Fig. 2). The curved rods are 0.20.5 pm wide and 1-5-5 pm long. They have a single polar flagellum (Fig. 3)
and are very actively motile.