Salmonellosis is an important zoonotic disease of economic significance. It infects both man and animals alike around the globe. Salmonella enterica, subspecies enterica serovar Berta (9,12: f, g, t:-) was isolated from three out of five blood samples of 3-6-month-old ailing calves. The isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, ofloxacin and moderately sensitive to gentamicin, lomefloxacin, oxytetracyclines, tetracyclines, but refractory to ampicillin and penicillin. Treatment with enrofloxacin resulted in cent per cent recovery. The infection might have been picked up by calves from poultry birds reared in the same premises. Key words: enrofloxacin, Jersey cross-bred calves, Salmonella Bert

Kul Bhushan Nagal

Rajesh Chahota

Rajinder Kumar M

Ramesh Ch

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153
VETERINARSKI ARHIV 76 (2), 153-157, 2006
* Contact address:
Dr. K. B. Nagal, Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 
CSK Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, 176 062, Himachal Pradesh, India, Phone: +91 1894 230 307 Ext. 862; Fax: +91 1894 
230 511; E-mail: kbnagal@hillagric.ernet.in
ISSN 0372-5480
Printed in Croatia
Occurrence of Salmonella enterica, subspecies enterica serovar Berta 
(Salmonella Berta) in bovine calves, in Himachal Pradesh, India
Kul Bhushan Nagal1*, Rajinder Kumar Mandial2, Ramesh Chand Katoch3, 
and Rajesh Chahota4 
1Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 
CSK Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
2Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Ethics and Jurisprudence, College of Veterinary and Animal 
Sciences, CSK Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
3Dean, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, CSK Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal 
Pradesh, India 
4Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, CSK Krishi Vishvavidya-
laya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
NAGAL, K. B., R. K. MANDIAL, R. C. KATOCH, R. CHAHOTA: Occurrence of 
Salmonella enterica, subspecies enterica serovar Berta (Salmonella Berta) in bovine 
calves, in Himachal Pradesh, India. Vet. arhiv 76, 153-157, 2006.
ABSTRACT
Salmonellosis is an important zoonotic disease of economic significance. It infects both man and animals 
alike around the globe. Salmonella enterica, subspecies enterica serovar Berta (9,12 : f, g, t : -) was isolated 
from three out of five blood samples of 3-6-month-old ailing calves. The isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, 
enrofloxacin, ofloxacin and moderately sensitive to gentamicin, lomefloxacin, oxytetracyclines, tetracyclines, 
but refractory to ampicillin and penicillin. Treatment with enrofloxacin resulted in cent per cent recovery. The 
infection might have been picked up by calves from poultry birds reared in the same premises. 
Key words: enrofloxacin, Jersey cross-bred calves, Salmonella Berta
Introduction
Salmonellae are considered to be potential pathogens having economic significance 
the world over. The frequency of isolation of salmonella serovars from different clinical 
sources varies from time to time and from place to place. New salmonella serovars are 154 Vet. arhiv 76 (2), 153-157, 2006
added to the list every year throughout the world. Approximately 2.500 serovars have been 
recognized to date (POPOFF, 2001). 
Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Berta (S. Berta) was first isolated 
from pigs in Uruguay in 1936 (HORMAECHE et al., 1938). Of great concern is the ability of 
many serovars of S. enterica to colonize the intestinal tract of birds without showing any 
overt symptoms of disease (BROWN et al., 1992). S. Berta has been isolated from poultry, 
humans, cattle, pigs and slurry. Indeed, most reports on this serovar have originated from 
its isolation from poultry broiler flocks in the United States (COX et al., 1990); Australia 
(ANON., 1990); Canada (POPPE et al., 1991) and Denmark (SORENSEN et al., 1991). How-
ever, MORENO et al. (1995) isolated this organism from cold blooded animals in Spain. 
Community outbreaks of S. Berta associated with ingestion of contaminated meat and meat 
and milk products in humans with diarrhoeal illness have been reported from England and 
Wales (THRELFALL et al., 1992) and Canada (ELLIS et al., 1998). 
The present investigation reports the isolation of S. Berta from blood samples of pyretic 
calves reared in an organized dairy farm in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, India.
Materials and methods
Anamnesis revealed that there have been infrequent, sudden deaths among Jersey 
cross-bred calves aged between three and six months, of either sex, for over one month. 
In May, 1999 seven out of 18 calves developed pyrexia with associated symptoms. Blood 
samples taken from the jugular vein of five calves were collected randomly at the height 
of fever for microbiological investigations, while observing all aseptic precautions. 
These samples were streaked on 10 per cent sheep blood agar, McConkey’s agar and 
brilliant green agar. After inoculation these plates were incubated aerobically and micro-
aerophillically at 37 ºC and examined daily. The isolates were identified on the basis 
of cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics (BOVRE, 1984; CARTER and 
CHENGAPPA, 1990). All the isolates were finally serotyped at the National Salmonella 
and Escherichia Center, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, India. 
Serotyping was reconfirmed from the Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian 
Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. The isolates were tested 
for their antibiotic sensitivity pattern using standard disc diffusion method, employing 
Mueller and Hinton agar. 
Results
Seven (38.88%) out of 18 calves developed signs of respiratory distress, pyrexia 
(104 -106 ºF) and acute tympany, but no diarrhoea. Sternal recumbency was one of the 
predominant signs in all the ailing calves. These calves did not respond to conventional 
K. B. Nagal et al.: Occurrence of Salmonella enterica, subspecies enterica serovar Berta (Salmonella Berta) in 
bovine calves, in Himachal Pradesh, India155
treatment for tympany. Similar symptoms were also noticed in calves that had died during 
the previous month.
Three out of five blood samples yielded small Gram-motile rods in pure culture. The 
growth on solid media was rounded, smooth, whitish or colourless colonies. Cultural, 
morphological and biochemical characteristics were typical of genus Salmonella. Sero-
logically, all three isolates were confirmed as S. Berta (9,12 : f, g, t : -) by both the typing 
institutes. All the three isolates revealed a similar antibiotic susceptibility profile. The 
isolates were highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, ofloxacin, and moderately 
sensitive to gentamicin, lomefloxacin, oxytetracyclines, and tetracyclines, but refractory 
to ampicillin and penicillin.
Discussion 
Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Berta is mainly associated with 
poultry (SORENSEN et al., 1991) but has been reported in relation to large outbreaks of 
Salmonellosis among humans, presumably due to consumption of contaminated poultry 
products (OLSEN et al., 1992; THREFALL et al., 1992). Scanning of available literature has 
not incriminated this organism as a causative agent of disease/outbreaks in animals with 
definite signs, except in humans. Although Salmonellosis has been studied almost thor-
oughly many details of its pathogenesis are lacking and many researchers all over the world 
are engaged in solving this mystery. WRAY (1995) has rightly opined that Salmonellosis 
is “a hundred years old and still going strong.” In humans the main clinical manifestation 
is diarrhoea after the consumption of contaminated meat and meat and milk products. 
Diarrhoea was not observed at all in the calves in this study. It appears that in the present 
sporadic outbreak the organism has assumed an invasive role. These observations are in 
agreement with those of OLSEN et al. (1996). They have also opined that S. Berta could be 
invasive in poultry.
In India, isolation of S. Berta has been reported from human blood and four variable 
sources by SAXENA et al. (1983) and subsequently as a source of contamination of pork 
and pork products (KALIMUDDIN and CHOUDHARY, 1999). The reasons for the current 
sporadic outbreaks among calves are unknown but may be related either to the fact that 
infection might have been picked up from adjacent carrier broiler unit, or asymptomatic 
human attendants. 
OLSEN et al. (1992) studied 175 strains of S. Berta for antibiotic resistance and found 
only six per cent strains resistant to one or more anti-microbial agent, such as ampicillin, 
carbenicillin, tetracyclines and trimethoprim. The antibiotic resistance pattern in the present 
study is almost in agreement with that of OLSEN et al. (1992) as isolates were found to be 
resistant to only two antibiotics, i.e. ampicillin and penicillin. 
Vet. arhiv 76 (2), 153-157, 2006
K. B. Nagal et al.: Occurrence of Salmonella enterica, subspecies enterica serovar Berta (Salmonella Berta) in 
bovine calves, in Himachal Pradesh, India156 Vet. arhiv 76 (2), 153-157, 2006
The treatment of calves with enrofloxacin in standard doses and a schedule coupled 
with segregation of sick calves resulted in uneventful full recovery of all five calves. This 
indicates a positive correlation between the in vivo and in vitro antibiotic susceptibility 
pattern. This study acts as a pointer for further detailed investigation into the role of S. 
Berta as a causative agent of systemic infection in animals and birds. 
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to the Director, National Salmonella and Escherichia Center, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, 
Himachal Pradesh, India, and to the Head Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Veterinary Research 
Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India for serotyping of the Salmonella isolates. 
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Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Berta (Salmonella Berta) u teladi u 
Himachal Pradesh u Indiji. Vet. arhiv 76, 153-157, 2006.
SAŽETAK
Salmoneloza je važna zoonoza od velikog gospodarskogg značenja. Javlja se u ljudi i životinja diljem svijeta. 
Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Berta (9,12 : f,g,t : -) izdvojena je iz tri od pet uzoraka krvi 
slabunjave teladi u dobi od 3 do 6 mjeseci. Izolati su bili osjetljivi na ciprofloksacin, enrofloksacin, ofloksacin, 
a umjereno osjetljivi na gentamicin, lomefloksacin, oksitetraciklin, tetraciklin te neosjetljivi na ampicilin i 
penicilin. Davanje enrofloksacina dovelo je do izliječenja. Telad se vjerojatno zarazila od peradi držane u istim 
nastambama.
Ključne riječi: enrofloksacin, telad pasmine Jersey, Salmonella Berta 
Vet. arhiv 76 (2), 153-157, 2006
K. B. Nagal et al.: Occurrence of Salmonella enterica, subspecies enterica serovar Berta (Salmonella Berta) in 
bovine calves, in Himachal Pradesh, India
Received: 22 September 2004
Accepted: 2 March 2006.

Occurrence of Salmonella enterica, subspecies enterica serovar Berta (Salmonella Berta) in bovine calves, in Himachal Pradesh, India

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Occurrence of Salmonella enterica, subspecies enterica serovar Berta (Salmonella Berta) in bovine calves, in Himachal Pradesh, India

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