Studies on Escherichia coli in cases of lamb dysentery

Chao Shun-yung Ghang Ping-I Lung Kuang-yao Yang Hsulh-li Hsilh Jen-te

The etiological significance of Escherichia coli in lamb dysentery occurred in a range has been studied withthe following results: 1,The total Escherichia coli counts in the duode num,ileum and colonof the sick lambs are much higher than that of the normal.2,In spite of the fact thatisolation of virulent strains of E coli have been isolated both from the sick lambs and thenormal ones,the proportion of the virulent strains isolated is greater in the former.3,A dose of 11 or 25 ml of mixed cultures of these virulent strains per os has been found to be able to induce dysentery in new born lambs.4,Rabbits and mice injected intravenously with thefiltrate or supernatant fluid of the intestinal content obta ined from 21 cases of the diseaseat at three outbreak seasons have been found all alive.This suffices to show that there is no toxin in the intestinal content, 5,The polyvalent immune serum for the anaerobic lamb dysentery has been found unable to prevent the said disease. These results indicatad that Escherichia coli is, at least, one of the main causing factors of the lamb dysentery occurred. in that range.