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Characteristics
- Formerly known as Actinomyces pyogenes and Corynebacterium pyogenes
- Small facultatively anaerobic rod
- Grows slowly on blood agar to produce small, white colonies surrounded by a zone of beta-haemolysis after 48 hours
- Produces hazy haemolysis after 24 hours; pin-point colonies after 48 hours
- Coryneform morphology, like Chinese characters; may be curved with slightly swollen ends
- Found in nasopharyngeal mucosa and genital tract of cattle, sheep, pigs
Pathogenicity
- Opportunistic infections following injury or viral/mycoplasma infection in ruminants and pigs
- Extracellular toxins including haemolysin, proteases, DNase and neurominidase
- Haemolytic toxin, pyolysin, member of the thiol-activated cytolysins (pore-forming toxins); possibly cytotoxic to phagocytic cells; dermonecrotising activity
Clinical infections
- Suppurative infections
- Abscesses especially in liver
- Lymphadenitis, osteomyelitis, peritonitis and neural abscessation
- Pyometra
- Endometritis
- Summer mastitis
- Ovine foot disease
- Arthritis of sheep post-dipping; arthritis in pigs and arthritis in cattle
- Umbilical infections
- Acute exudative pneumonia and contributes to Enzootic pneumonia of calves
- May cause myositis
- Unclassified Actinomyces species isolated from closed cases of Poll Evil and Fistulous Withers
Treatment
- Penicillin or broad spectrum antibiotics