Aim:Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is the etiological agent of caseous lymphadenitis that affects sheep and goats. This study was designed to determine the presence of the causative organism in the female reproductive organs and associated lymph nodes in non-pregnant does experimentally inoculated through intradermal route in the chronic form.Materials and Methods:18 non-pregnant healthy Katjang does aged 2-year-old were divided randomly into two groups. The first and second group consists of nine non-pregnant does each and the two groups were subdivided into three subgroups. The first group was experimentally inoculated with 1 ml of 107cfu of live C. pseudotuberculosis through intradermal route, whereas the second group was inoculated with 1 ml phosphate buffer saline (pH 7) solution intradermally. The first group were further subdivided into three subgroups where, the first subgroup (B1) were kept for 30 days post-infection, second subgroup (B2) were kept for 60 days post-infection, and third subgroup (B3) were kept for 90 days. The second group was further subdivided into three subgroups (C1, C2, and C3) where they were kept for 39, 60, and 90 days post-infection, respectively.Results:From this study, there was successful isolation of C. pseudotuberculosis from the reproductive organs of the treatment group after 60 days post-infection. The subgroups (B1, C1, C2, and C3) did not show any presence of the causative organism in the reproductive organs. The second subgroup B2 and third subgroup B3 showed positive isolation of the causative organisms from the ovary, uterine horns, uterus, cervix, vagina, and inguinal lymph node of the experimental non-pregnant does.Conclusion:This study showed that chronic infection of C. pseudotuberculosis via intradermal route may cause effect toward the reproductive organs and may be able to influence the reproductive efficiency of the infected animals.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is the causative agent of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), a common disease in small ruminant populations across the globe. The disease remains as a major disease causing economic loss to the owners. There is little information related to the effect of this disease towards reproductive performance of the animal when the disease occurs in chronic form. This study analyzes the changes of the reproductive hormones in nonpregnant does infected chronically with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis via intradermal route. Eighteen non-pregnant healthy Katjang does aged 2 years old were divided randomly into two groups. The first and second groups consist of nine does each and were kept for 3 consecutive months. The first group was experimentally inoculated with 1 ml of 107 cfu of live Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis through intradermal route while the second group was inoculated with 1 ml PBS (pH 7) solution intradermally. Serum samples were collected every 3 days for 3 consecutive months from each group post infection via jugular venipuncture for reproductive hormone analyses. Present study indicates a decrement in progesterone concentration but shows an increment in estradiol profile throughout 3 months post-infection. The present results therefore indicate hormonal imbalance due to chronicity of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in affected does.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is the etiological agent for caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), which is a chronic zoonotic disease that mostly infects sheep and goats worldwide. CLA causes significant financial losses in endemic countries due to decreased productivity and impaired reproduction in goats, sheep, and other small ruminants. In this study, 18 nonpregnant healthy Katjang does aged 2 years old were randomly divided into two groups of nine goats each. The first group were all experimentally inoculated with 1 ml of 10 7 cfu of live C. pseudotuberculosis through intradermal route while the second group was given 1 ml PBS (pH 7) intradermally. Three animals from each group were withdrawn and culled after 30, 60 and 90 days post infection and the reproductive organs (vagina, cervix, uterus, uterine horns, and ovaries) and iliac lymph nodes were collected in 10 % buffered formalin, processed, sectioned, and stained with H&E. Histopathological findings showed evidence of inflammation, degeneration, necrosis, and vascular changes in all the tissues examined. Inflammatory cell infiltration made up of neutrophils and macrophages were observed in all tissues. However, while neutrophil response was higher (p < 0.05) at the early phase (1 month) of the infection, macrophage response predominated at 3-months post infection. The distribution of necrosis and degeneration also increased (p < 0.05) between 1 and 3 months of infection in all tissues. Multifocal distribution of microabscesses indicative of pyogranuloma were observed in the cervix and iliac lymph nodes, with a higher (p < 0.05) distribution in the lymph nodes. Vascular congestion was also observed in all tissues, with varying severity of distribution at all sampling points. This study shows the time dependent effect of C. pseudotuberculosis infection on lesion severity in the reproductive system of goats, which necessitates the need for prompt diagnosis in order to prevent infertility and abortion in goat herds.