Dihydrostreptomycin treatment of bovine carriers of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo

Abstract

Ten non-pregnant heifers, experimentally infected with Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo, were each given an intramuscular injection of dihydrostreptomycin at a dose rate of 25 mg kg-1. In five of these animals this treatment was repeated after 14 days. Treatment failed to remove established genital or renal infection in seven of the 10 heifers, although the number of organisms persisting was apparently reduced in these animals. Serovar hardjo infection persisted for at least 83 days in the oviduct and uterus and these tissues may be as important carrier sites for serovar hardjo as bovine kidney tissue.