BACTERIAL ENDOMETRITIS OF COWS AND THE CURRENT STATUS ITS ETIOTROPIC THERAPY

Abstract

In the article a literature review related to the etiology, epizootology, pathogenesis, clinical symptoms of endometritis in cows and modern means of its etiotropic therapy is provided. Postpartum endometritis is considered one of the most common diseases in cows, causing great economic losses to dairy operators, due to the increase in the number of unfertilized cows after repeated artificial insemination, the increase of the service period and the percentage of culled cows, treatment costs, decrease in milk yield, etc. The main role in the etiology of endometritis in cows in the postpartum period is assigned to bacterial opportunistic microflora. In the etiology of endometritis, the basic role is played by Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp. and Escherichia coli. Other bacteria can cause endometritis in cows, such as: Actinomyces pyogenes, Fusobacterium necrophorum, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Prevotella spp., Bacteroides spp. In many cases, acute postpartum endometritis in cows is caused by the association of microorganisms, especially Escherichia coli with streptococci and staphylococci. Microorganisms penetrate the mucous membrane of the uterus, their toxins and enzymes destroy nerve endings and capillaries, what leads to a reaction in the form of an inflammatory process, what is localized mainly in the surface layers of the endometrium and in the inter-glandular connective tissue. The development of endometritis depends on the immune response of the cow, as well as on the type and number of bacteria that colonize the endometrium. According to the kind of the inflammatory process, endometritis in cows are classified into: purulent; serous; catarrhal; serous-catarrhal; fibrinous; catarrhal-purulent. According to the passing of the disease, endometritis are acute, subacute, less often - chronic. Diagnosis of endometritis includes collection of anamnestic data, general clinical exploring of the animal and special gynecological (vaginal and rectal) testing. The basis of the treatment of endometritis in cows is etiotropic therapy, what involves by the use of antimicrobial drugs that affect the cause of the disease, and is used to stop the reproduction of opportunistic microflora in the uterine cavity and normalize the microbiocenosis. For the etiotropic therapy of endometritis in cows, drugs for intrauterine administration and drugs for systemic treatment in the form of a solution or suspension for injections are used.