Pathological Findings of Tuberculosis of Japanese Indigenous Cattle in Sado Island

Abstract

In 1963, tuberculosis was first found among Japanese indigenous cattle in Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture. Since then 99 animals have been sacrificed because of positive tuberculin tests. Of then, fortysix were examined by autopsy and histopathological observation. Tuberculous lesions were present in the tracheal and pulmonary lymph node (LN)(33 cases), mediastinal LN (32 cases), lung (24 cases), cranial mesenteric, pharyngeal, and laryngeal LN (24 cases), hepatic LN (11 cases), cervical LN (8 cases), mandibular LN (6 cases), parotid and inguinal LN (5 cases), liver (7 cases), spleen (6 cases), and kidney (2 cases). Tubercles of pearl disease were prevalent in 3 cases. When classified by severity based on the spread and degree of tuberculous lesions, the 46 cases consisted of 10 severe, 20 moderate, and 16 mild cases. On the other hand, they were divided into 5 general, 15 pulmonary, 23 lymphatic, and 3 serosal cases on the basis of distribution of lesions. There was no definite relationship between the appearance of tuberculous lesions and the reaction to tuberculin.