Infection of the middle nasal meatus of calves with Pasteurella haemolytica serotype 1.

ABSTRACT

Eight healthy nonstressed calves were inoculated with Pasteurella haemolytica serotype 1, by instilling a broth culture into the middle nasal meatus of the left nostril. The inoculated left nostrils shed P haemolytica from the ventral nasal meatus at a steady rate for a mean of 7 days, whereas the uninoculated right nostrils of the same calves shed P haemolytica sporadically and in lower concentrations. The duration, frequency, and concentration of P haemolytica shed from the inoculated nostrils was significantly (P less than 0.05) greater than from the nostrils of other healthy calves that had been exposed by instilling the culture into the ventral nasal meatus of both nostrils in a previous study. The concentration of antibodies (IgG, IgA, and IgM) to P haemolytica increased significantly (P less than 0.05) in serum and nasal secretions after exposure. Four weeks after initial P haemolytica exposure, calves were exposed to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus and became clinically ill. Four calves were induced to shed P haemolytica from both nostrils by the virus infection; thus, they were harboring the bacterium and were susceptible to active recolonization. Four calves were not induced to shed P haemolytica. The apparent reason was not that they were resistant to active colonization, but that they were no longer harboring the bacterium, because they became active shedders after they were reinfected with P haemolytica.