Leptospirosis is an infectious and contagious bacterial disease of most farm animals and many wildlife species. In cattle, leptospirosis can produce an abortion rate of up to 30 percent when it occurs during the final third of pregnancy. It may also be responsible for high mortality among young calves, decreased milk production, and blood-contaminated milk. Severity in adult cattle is extremely variable, ranging from inapparent infection to 5 percent mortality. The causative organisms, called Leptospires, are shed in urine and survive in surface water, streams, or moist, alkaline soil.
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