Elsevier

Theriogenology

Volume 68, Issue 3, August 2007, Pages 474-486
Theriogenology

Infectious causes of bovine abortion during mid- to late-gestation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.04.001Get rights and content

Abstract

The accurate and prompt diagnosis of infectious abortions in a herd requires cooperation between the herd veterinarian and a veterinary diagnostic laboratory; working together, with good communication and appropriate sampling and testing, the chances of obtaining an etiologic diagnosis are improved. Abortion diagnosis is a challenge as a cause is usually identified in less than half of submitted fetuses. The majority of diagnosed abortions are attributed to infections by a moderate number of bacterial, viral, fungal and protozoal agents. The pathology and other findings used in the laboratory diagnosis of the major infectious agents causing bovine abortion in mid- to late-gestation will be discussed.

Introduction

Bovine veterinarians confronted by a herd abortion problem often seek assistance from a veterinary diagnostic laboratory with the capacity to perform a variety of pathology, microbiology and immunology procedures to identify the cause. Most fetuses submitted to diagnostic laboratories for a diagnostic workup are in the second or third trimester and most diagnosed cases are attributed to infectious causes. Abortion diagnosis is challenging; an etiology is identified in less than half of submissions (Table 1). The surveys listed span four decades in various areas of the United States [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. In these surveys, there are differences in the various infectious agents identified, which may reflect factors such as climate, production type, feeds, management practices, vaccination programs, as well as sampling and laboratory procedures available at the time. With increased knowledge and improved diagnostic procedures, new infections have emerged as important causes of abortion.

Section snippets

Abortion diagnosis protocol

Information provided with the submissions about the herd abortion problem may help identify potential causes and exclude others. Some useful information would include estimates of the previous and current abortion rate in the herd, the duration of the abortion problem, and the gestational ages of the abortions. Other useful information would be whether the aborted fetuses are fresh or autolyzed, whether the abortions are occurring in heifers, cows or both, whether there are retained placentae,

Diagnostic features of infectious causes of abortion

The following sections discuss the presentation and diagnosis of commonly diagnosed infectious causes of abortion in cattle.

Summary

Laboratory results obtained from the abortion submissions should be interpreted by the veterinarian to determine whether they provide a sufficient answer to the herd abortion problem. On occasion, aborted fetuses may present with incidental infections, have multiple infections, or the fetus submitted may not be representative of the herd problem. When laboratory testing is completed, the clinical situation and laboratory diagnosis can be compared to assess whether the abortion submission is a

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