BOVINE ABORTION

Dr. Abdelsalam Talafha DVM, Diplomate American College of Theriogenologists

Introduction

Abortion

* Termination of pregnancy after organogenesis is complete but before expelled fetus

can survive

The etiologic diagnosis of abortion

* Difficult and frustrating task * Diagnostic success rate relatively low

* 30 - 40% for cows * 60-65% for small ruminants Factors That Complicate Diagnosis

* * * * * *

Causative agent no longer apparent by time abortion occurs Fetal autolysis Contamination of fetal membranes and fetus by environmental agents Noninfectious (toxic or genetic) causes Lack of equipments or staff in labs Improper or inadequate specimen selection and handling

Diagnosis Protocol - History

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* * * * * * * * *

Abortion rate Duration of problem Gestational ages of abortions Fresh or autolyzed fetus RFM Clinical signs on aborting animals Natural or AI Vaccination history

Diagnosis Protocol - Specimens Placenta and fetus

* Fresh condition * Cleaned with water or saline * Packed in clean plastic bags * Chilled (but not frozen) * Rapid transport to lab

* * *

Maternal serum Whole fetus Necropsy and collect samples

* Abomasal contents * Heart blood or fluid from body cavity * Lung, liver, kidney, spleen, thyroid glands, thymus, heart, brain

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Submit in

* Sterile containers and 10% buffered formalin

Diagnosis Protocol Placenta Examination

Fresh normal placenta

* Red cotyledons * Clear, translucent intercotyledonary area

Autolysis

* Dull brown cotyledons * Intercotyledonary areas less translucent

Gross abnormalities in cotyledons include

* Adherent caruncular tissue * Hemorrhage * Necrosis * Exudation

Diagnosis Protocol Fetal Examination

* *

Estimation of gestational age of fetus Crown-rump length

* Example:
* 18 inches x 2 = 36 * 36 = 6 months

Distribution of hair development

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* * *

Meconium staining Round raised skin plaques Abortion of alive fetus

* Lung inflation * Hemorrhage surrounding umbilical vessels * Thrombosis of umbilical arteries

Freshly aborted fetus

* Clear, amber colored fluid in body cavities

12 d after death

* Serosanguinous fluid in body cavities

A week after fetal death

* Dehydrated fetus * No abomasal content

Abortion - Noninfectious Causes

Genetic factors; mostly cause

* EED * Early abortion

Heat stress and maternal fever

* Fetal hypotension * Hypoxia

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* Acidosis

Severe trauma

* Rarely result in abortion

Toxic plants that contain

* Estrogen, indolizidine alkaloid, coumarins

* *

Mycotoxins Nitrates or nitrites

Abortion - Infectious Causes

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Opportunistic bacteria Brucella Listeria Leptospira Chlamydophila Campylobacter Ureaplasma / Mycoplasma Mycotic abortion BVD IBR (BHV-1) Neosporosis Bluetongue virus

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* * * *

Akabane virus Parainfluenza-3 virus Salmonella spp Wide variety of other bacteria

Opportunistic Bacterial Infections

* * *

Found in environment or on mucosal surfaces Not contagious Abortions

* Sporadic * Mostly in 2nd half of gestation * 25-50% of diagnosed abortions

Multiple abortions in a herd suggest

* Maternal health problems * Additional infectious agents may be involved in abortion

* * * * * *

Arcanobacterium pyogenes Bacillus sp. Escherichia coli Haemophilus somnus Pasteurella sp. Pseudomonas sp.

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* * * *

Staphylococcus sp. Streptococcus sp. No specific signs in dam Placenta

* May be retained * Yellow to brown exudate on surface * Suppurative placentitis

Fetus

* Variable degree of autolysis * Fibrin exudate in body cavities * Neutrophilic bronchopneumonia

In order to establish an etiologic diagnosis

* Bacteria isolated in pure culture * Lesions consistent with bacterial infection in fetus or placenta

Brucellosis

* * *

B. abortus Occasionally B. melitensis Abortion

* Storms in unvaccinated cattle * Only once (20% abort > once)

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* Usually after 5th m. of pregnancy

Brucellosis: Epidemiology

Natural transmission

* Ingestion * Transmission may occur by AI * Mucous membranes, conjunctiva, wounds, intact skin * Venereal transmission by infected bulls to susceptible cows appears to be rare

* *

Bacteremia Incubation period

* 2 wks 1 year (minimum 30 days)

Bacteria found in

* Uterus during pregnancy * Uterine involution * Nongravid uterus * Aborted fetuses and placenta

Clinical Findings

* * *

Abortion Stillbirth Weak calves

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* * * * * *

RFM Metritis Reduced milk yield General health not impaired in uncomplicated abortions Infertility Fetus

* Abort 2472 h after in utero death * Frequently autolyzed * No gross lesions * Acute neutrophilic bronchopneumonia to chronic broncho-interstitial pneumonia * Peri-airway infiltrate of mononuclear cells

Placenta

* Severe placentitis with edema * Focal necrosis of cotyledons * Thickened intercotyledonary areas with adherent yellowish exudate
Diagnosis

* * * *

Bacteriology CFT ELISA Screening tests

* Brucellosis card (rose bengal) test

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Control

* *

Noninfected herds must be protected Additions

* Vaccinated calves or nonpregnant heifers * If pregnant or fresh cows

* Originate from brucellosis-free herds

* Isolated for ~30 days and retested before added to herd

* *

Vaccination of calves with RB51 increases resistance to infection Strain RB51

* Rough attenuated strain * Does not cause production of antibodies that reacts with standard assays

Listeriosis

* * *

Listeria monocytogenes Listeria ivanovii Ingestion of poorly fermented silage Page 10 of 24

Abortions

* Most are sporadic * 3rd trimester

Aborting cows

* May have fever and anorexia due to metritis * Encephalitis (rarely seen with abortion)

Placenta

* Retained * Small pale foci in cotyledons * Suppurative placentitis

Fetus

* Markedly autolyzed * Pinpoint white to yellow foci in liver * Fibrin in body cavities * Suppurative hepatitis * Meningitis * Intravascular bacterial colonization
Diagnosis

* *

Culture Liver impression smears or abomasal fluid

* Gram positive coccobacilli

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IHC stains

Leptospirosis

* * * * * *

Leptospira hardjo L. pomona Shed in urine for several weeks Survive in wet environments for up to 30 days Penetrate intact mucous membranes or abraded skin Abortion

* Frequently only clinical sign observed in adult cows * 2-6 weeks after maternal infection * 4 months to term * Rates 5-40 % or more

* * * * *

Stillbirths Retained placenta Infertility Sudden agalactia Kidney and liver disease signs

* Jaundice, hemoglobinuria, anemia

Aborted fetus

* Usually autolyzed

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* Icterus
* Late gestation fetuses * L. pomona

* *

Occasionally calves born alive but weak Placenta

* Diffuse placentitis * Light tan cotyledons * Edematous, yellowish intercotyledonary areas

Histologic lesions

* May not be observed * Renal tubular necrosis * Interstitial nephritis * Non-suppurative meningitis
Diagnosis

* * * * * * *

PCR Darkfield Microscopy IF staining Silver staining IHC ELISA RIA

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Control

Elimination of infection sources

* Feed or water contaminated by dogs, rats

* *

Vaccination: 5-way bacterin every 6 mo

Treatment Tetracycline, Tylosin, streptomycin

Leptospirosis

* Zoonotic * Urine and milk of dams may be infective for up to 3 mo

Chlamydophilosis

* *

Chlamydophila abortus (chlamydia psittaci serotype 1) Abortion

* Sporadic * Near end of last trimester

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Placenta

* Thick yellow-brown exudate adhered to cotyledons and intercotyledonary areas

Diagnosis

* Stained smears of placenta * Elisa, FA, PCR * Isolation in embryonated chicken eggs or cell culture

* * *

No vaccines for cattle Tx: tetracycline Zoonotic

Campylobacter species

* * *

Campylobacter fetus subspecies venerealis Venereal disease 2 - 10% of diagnosed abortions

* 47 mo gestation

* *

Infertility due to early embryonic death Placenta

* Fibrinous neutrophilic placentitis * Cotyledons

* Necrosis * Yellow-brown discoloration

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Aborted fetus

* Fibrinous exudate in body cavities * Splenomegaly * Elevated fetal serum immunoglobulins * Neutrophilic bronchopneumonia * Fibrinous neutrophilic serositis * Abomasitis
Diagnosis

* * * *

Culture Silver stains of fetal tissues with inflammation IHC Darkfield microscopic examination of abomasal fluid

* Small bacteria with darting motility

Ureaplasma / Mycoplasma

* *

Common inhabitant of vagina and prepuce Abortions

* Sporadic, occasional outbreaks * 3rd trimester

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Cows

* Not sick * RFM

Ureaplasma diversum

Placenta

* Hemorrhagic, thick intercotyledonary areas

Fetus

* No gross lesions (well preserved) * Pneumonia with diffuse alveolitis

Diagnosis

* Isolation from placenta, lungs, abomasal contents

Treatment

Tylosin 10mg/kg, tetracycline 1 g intrauterine

Mycotic Abortion

* * *

Aspergillus fumigatus 1 - 10% of diagnosed abortion Entry through

* Oral or respiratory tracts * Travel hematogenously to placenta

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Abortion

* Sporadic * 3rd trimester * Winter

* * *

Severe placentitis Diffusely thickened, leathery Cotyledons

* Hemorrhagic infarcts * Adherent caruncular tissue

* *

Vasculitis with thrombosis Aborted fetus

* Minimal autolysis * Lesions

* Variable * May be absent

* Raised circumscribed plaques on skin

* ~30% of cases

* Bronchopneumonia
Diagnosis

Direct microscopic examinations

* Scrapings of placental or skin lesions

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* * *

Histochemical stains Culture Compatible lesions in placenta or fetus

Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis

* * * * * * * * * * * *

BHV - 1 Abortions Vulvovaginitis Balanoposthitis Respiratory disease Conjunctivitis Encephalomyelitis Fatal systemic infections in neonatal cattle Infertility Early embryonic death Persist as a latent infection following acute infection Virus shedding

* Respiratory * Ocular * Reproductive secretions

Abortion storms

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* Unexposed, non-vaccinated pregnant cattle * 2560% of cows aborting * 2nd half of gestation * Occur several weeks following initial infection

* *

Aborting cows may exhibit signs of illness other than abortion Aborted fetuses

* Autolyzed * Red-tinged fluid in body cavities * Multifocal necrosis in liver * Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions in liver and adrenal cortex

Placenta

* Edema * Placentitis * Necrosis and vasculitis in villi

Diagnosis

* Viral isolation * IF staining * IHC

Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)

Pestivirus in the family Togaviradae

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Transmission of infection

* Inhalation * Ingestion * Contaminated vectors or vehicles * Transplacental infection * Semen

Biotypes

* Noncytopathic * Cytopathic

Genotypes

* Type 1
* BVDV1a * BVDV1b

* Type 2
* BVDV2a * BVDV2b

Clinical Forms

* Subclinical BVD * Acute BVD * Persistent infection * Mucosal Disease

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* Acute * Chronic Diagnosis

* * * * *

Virus isolation PCR IHC ELISA Precolostral antibodies in aborted calves

Neosporosis

* *

Neospora caninum Endemic abortion

* Abortion rate > 5% / year * Persists for years

Epidemic abortion

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* > 30% abortions * Over short period * Less common

* * * *

Between 4 - 6 mo Repeated abortions No signs of clinical illness in aborted cows Methods for the transmission

* Horizontal * Vertical transplacental

Infected calves

* Clinically normal * Born with paralysis (uncommon manifestation) * Remain infected for years

Fetus

* Usually autolyzed * Nonsuppurative

* Encephalitis * Epicarditis and/or myocarditis * Myositis * Hepatitis * Interstitial pneumonia

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* * *

No treatment Strict hygiene to prevent fecal contamination of feed by dogs Commercial vaccine is available

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