[Presence of coryneform organisms (C) in cow udders. III. Fermentation and hemagglutination properties as well as pathogenicity of C. uberis].

Altogether 111 strains of C. uberis isolated from cow udders of a dairy herd were studied. Only 27 strains gave positive fermentation without gas formation from glucose, 6 strains from maltose, lactose and galactose, 9 strains from maltose, 4 strains from sucrose, and 5 strains from sucrose and lactose. No fermentation was found in 48 strains; 12 strains decomposed various carbohydrates except glucose. Statistically significant differences in the slide haemagglutination test (OH), type A, were obtained only with human blood cells, group O, in connection with acid-producing strains (X20=12.64 greater than 9.21), as well as with those biochemically inactive (X20=9.12 greater than 7.82). The results of OH obtained with sheep, rabbit, horse, cow and calf blood cells were not characteristic, remaining on the levels of X2alpha=0.01 and X2alpha=0.02. Inoculation of C. uberis 22 (2-10(9) organisms in 10 ml inoculum) into 4 udder quarters free from bacteria, and into 8 quarters naturally infected with non-pathogenic coryneform organisms provoked a short-lived positive CMT reaction without clinical symptoms, and elimination of the bacteria. It seems to result from the author's current investigations that C. uberis is able to protect the cow udder against mastitis caused by bacteria.