Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from organs of young lambs

Samples of organs from 50 lambs, 3-45 days old, brought to this laboratory from 44 different flocks for post mortem examination, were examined for Listeria monocytogenes. Various diseases were found as cause of the death. The bacterium was isolated from 3 lambs (6%) which had died from E. coli-septicaemia. Two of these lambs were 3 days old whereas the third was 23 days.