Listeriosis Vs Bovine Research Paper

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The Effect of Listeriosis in Ovine Vs. Bovine

Introduction

Listeria, also referred to by the name Listeriosis, is an infection that is caused by eating contaminated food containing the bacterium Listeria Monocytogenes. This particular disease can affect not only animals, but also older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. When looking at these bacteria under a microscope, they appear to be small and rod-like and can sometimes be seen arranged in short chains (See Fig. 1). Because there are different species of Listeria, it may take further characterization in order to distinguish between each one. Listeria can be found in several different locations and factors. Soil is a big one, if the soil …show more content…

Depending also on the species, some cases of septicemia, abortion and latent infection may occur. Septicemia is poisoning of the blood and occasionally organs. Abortions can occur in the last trimester. Fetuses usually die in utero but stillbirths still occur frequently, and the abortion rate varies depending on species. Latent infection is an infection that does not always produce visible signs of a disease, but may be transmitted to another host. As far as recovery and treatments are concerned, there is possibility to catch the symptoms early and treat it with aggressive antibiotics. Listeria Monocytogenes are susceptible to penicillin (the drug of choice). High doses are required required due to the difficulty of of achieving minimum bacterial concentrations in the brain. The treatment should be continued one to two weeks. Supportive electrolytes and and fluids should also accompany the injections for the animal. In some cases though death is going to occur if the bacteria has completely taken over. At that point aggressive treatment may help for a short period of time but ultimately will not have any

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