Pathogenic characteristics of a novel intranuclear coccidia in Japanese black calves and its genetic identification as Eimeria subspherica.

Bovine intranuclear coccidiosis is caused by the protozoans Eimeria alabamensis and Cyclospora spp. Here, we characterized the disease and genetically identified the causative species in Japanese black calves with chronic and refractory watery diarrhea. Histologic examinations revealed atrophy of the jejunal villi and numerous parasites in the nucleus of epithelial cells in the jejunum.

Characterization of Aerococcus viridans isolated from milk samples from cows with mastitis and manure samples.

Thirty-eight Aerococcus viridans isolates were obtained from milk from 478 cows with clinical mastitis in a farm during the periods between November 2011 and February 2012, and between December 2012 and March 2013. Additional isolates were obtained from processed manure (a mixture of composted manure, straw and hydrated lime) and bedding materials. The processed manure was later used to cover the floor of the stalls in barns as bedding materials.

CTX-M-type extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from cases of bovine mastitis in Japan.

Three Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) were obtained from three dairy cows with clinical mastitis in two farms in western Japan. Two of the 3 isolates from cows in different farms were able to transfer plasmids carrying the blaCTX-M-2 gene to Escherichia coli recipient. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of the 2 isolates were different from each other, although restricted-fragment patterns of the two conjugative plasmids were similar to each other.