Listeriosis in a 5 month old white Fulani-cross heifer

A five month old calf was presented to the Large Animal Clinic of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with a chief complaint of nervous dysfunction. The calf was hospitalized and a thorough physical examination was carried out. The condition was diagnosed to be listeriosis based on the clinical signs, though efforts were made to isolate the organism from urine without success. The calf was treated with procaine penicillin at 25,000 IU I/M bid for 2 weeks and multivitamin 5 ml I/M for 3 days, after which the calf recovered completely. Treatment of listeriosis can be rewarding if aggressive antibiotic therapy is instituted early in the disease.