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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2006, p. 42-46, Vol. 44, No. 1
0095-1137/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.44.1.42-46.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effects of Cow Age and Pregnancy on Bartonella Infection in a Herd of Dairy Cattle

R. Maillard,^1,2* B. Grimard,³ S. Chastant-Maillard,⁴ B. Chomel,⁵ T. Delcroix,¹ C. Gandoin,¹ C. Bouillin,¹ L. Halos,¹ M. Vayssier-Taussat,¹ and H.-J. Boulouis¹

UMR BIPAR,¹ Unité de Pathologie du Bétail,² UMR Biologie du Développement et Reproduction,³ Unité de Pathologie de la Reproduction, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France,⁴ Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California 95616⁵

Received 27 July 2005/ Returned for modification 2 October 2005/ Accepted 27 October 2005

Bartonella spp. are small hemotropic bacteria infecting mammals. Four Bartonella species have been recently described in cattle and wild ruminants. To date, the biology and possible pathogenic role of Bartonella species isolated from ruminants are poorly understood. Therefore, a dairy herd of 448 cows and heifers was surveyed in order to establish the prevalence of Bartonella bovis and B. chomelii infections, the level of bacteremia, and the relationship between bacteremia and age or pregnancy status. The putative impact of Bartonella infection on production performance (individual milk cell count, milk yield) and reproductive status (success of artificial insemination [AI], placental retention, embryonic death, and abortion) was also assessed. The overall mean prevalence of B. bovis bacteremia was 59%, with the highest prevalence in heifers (92.5%). No B. chomelii was isolated, and 95% (114/120) of the B. bovis strains isolated and tested by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism belonged to type I. The level of bacteremia was higher in pregnant cows than in nonpregnant cows (P = 0.05), and the level of bacteremia rose during the last two-thirds of gestation (P < 0.001). There was no correlation between bacteremia and milk yield, individual milk cell count, success of first AI, interval between two calvings, or incidence of abortion and embryonic death. The interval from calving to first AI was shorter and the incidence of placental retention was lower in bacteremic animals than in nonbacteremic ones (P = 0.03 and P = 0.01, respectively).

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: UMR BIPAR, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 7 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France. Phone: 33 1 43 96 70 24. Fax: 33 1 43 96 70 55. E-mail: rmaillard{at}vet-alfort.fr.

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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2006, p. 42-46, Vol. 44, No. 1
0095-1137/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.44.1.42-46.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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