Abortion in the cow is defined as

foetal death and expulsion after

organogenesis is complete (d 42)
and before the expelled foetus
can survive (d 260).
 Economic impact
-700$ according to 1997
prices
A-Foetus B-Milk
C-Infertility
-Open days
-Expenses of treatment
D-Insemination expenses
 Incidence of abortion
 An annual abortion rate up to
5% is considered to be
normal.
 An abortion rate in excess of
10% is considered an
abortion storm.
- Approximately 10-15% of cows
diagnosed pregnant before 42
days can be expected to return
to estrus as a result of early
embryonic death.
- Beyond 42 days of pregnancy, a
'normal' abortion rate of 3-5%
(annually) will be found in most
herds
 Causes of
Abortion

N0n-infectious Infectious
causes causes
 Infectious Causes
Acc. to mode of transmission:
1)Transmitted by venereal
route
2)Transmitted by venereal and
other routes
3)Non-Venereal
Definition of Venereal disease
A disease that is transmitted
between animals through:
1-Sexual contact
a-Infected bull mating with
susceptible cows.
b-uninfected bull mating with an
infected cow then breeding
a susceptible cow .
2-Infected Semen
a- AI
b- Contaminated AV
c- Contaminated laboratory
supplies
3-Vaginal secretions
a- Inseminating equip.
b- Vaginoscope
c- Examinating gloves
1) Diseases transmitted Only
by venereal route
(True venereal)
1-Campylobacteriosis.(B)
2-Trichomoniasis.(P)
3-Epivag.(V)
 2- Diseases transmitted by
Venereal and
other routes
1-Brucellosis.(B)
2-IBR-IPV.(V)
3-BVD.(V)
4-Mycoplasmosis.(B)
 3- Diseases transmitted by
non-Venereal route
1-Neosporosis.(P)
2-Leptospirosis.(B)
3-Tuberculosis.(B)
4-Listeriosis.(B)
5-Rift Valley F.(V)
6-Blue Tongue.(V)
7-Mycotic.(F)
1) Diseases transmitted
only by
venereal route
 Comp. Campylo- Trichomo- Epivag
point bacteriosis niasis
Causative Gm –ve Protozoan Virus
bacteria parasite
agent
Transm- Venereal Venereal Venereal
ission
Pathog- Not but cause The same
interfere death of
enesis early
with
fertilizat. embryo
Symptoms 1-R.B. As campylo. 1-Sever vag.
2-Irrig. Except: and cerviitis
on cows
prol. est. 1-Pyometra 2-Salpin.
cycle 2-Date of (Sterility)-
3-Abortion ab. 3-Abortion:
(4-7m-12%) (2-4m-5%) (sporadic).
4-Fetus: N 3-Fetus: N. -Autolysed
f.

Symptoms -No. clin. As campylo. 1-balanops.

on bulls symptoms. 2-Indur.
-Incres. SI epid.
1-16 av.5 3-Orch.
Diagnosis -Breed. Hist. As -Genital symp
-Isola. of org. campylo. -Fetal lesions
-agg.t on v.mu. -Isolation. of
-Serolog. test org.

Prognos. -Cow. SLD -Cow. Guarded???

-Young SLD 15-25% dev.
Bulls -Bulls. Permanent
Old Bulls??? Eradica Sterility.
tion
Treatment Cow Cow. -Spontan. -
-Sex. Rest - SLD Recovery
And
(SLD) Bull. -No. tr. -
Control with sex.
-AI Eradication
Bull rest
-Vacc.
-Antibiotic
tr.
-Add
antibio. To
semen
-Bull
replace.
 Management of infected herd
with trichomoniasis
1-Testing all herd bulls
2-Cows
a-Non-pregnant & late calving
b-Pregnant 5m. or more
c-Pregnant less than 5m.
3-Ensure biosecurity
4-Vaccination
*2-Diseases Trans. By
Venereal and
other routes
 1-Brucellosis
Contagious abortion-Bang,s disease

Causative organism:
1-Br. abortus
2-Br. meltensis
 Mode of transmission
1-Ingestion
2-Milk (udder &supra mm. LN.)
3-Infected semen
4-Conjunctiva
NB. placenta erythritol
 Transmission
 Animals are infectious after either
abortion or full-term parturition.
 **B. abortus may also be found in
the milk, urine, semen, feces and
hygroma fluids. Shedding in milk
can be prolonged or lifelong, and
may be intermittent. Many infected
cattle become chronic carriers.
--Transmission by natural
breeding and artificial
insemination is reported to
occur in cattle.
 Clinical Signs
1-Abortions . Usually occur during
the second half of gestation
(storm). Some calves are born alive
but weak, and may die soon after
birth.
2-The placenta may be retained and
secondary metritis can occur.
3-Lactation may be decreased.
4-After the first abortion,
subsequent pregnancies are
generally normal; however, cows
may shed the organism in milk
and uterine discharges.
B. Bull
1-Predliction site ??
2-Acute stage
Epididymitis, seminal vesiculitis, orchitis or
testicular abscesses are sometimes seen in
bulls. Shed the organism
3-Chronic stage. Ceased
shedding
 Diagnosis
1-Identification of the organism.
(modified Koster-Ziel Nielson stain)
2-Detection of antibodies using
ELISA
3-Seriological T. (milk, serum,
vag.mu., semen)
4-Rose Bengal T. on serum
a- -ve samples re-examined CFT or
SAT.
b- +ve samples not re-examined
 Control and treat.
A) COW
1- Vaccination with strain 19 or RB51
-heifers 3-6m.
-bulls ??? (no vacc.)
2-Slaughter of infected animals
(eradication program).
3-Prevent horizontal infection.
4-Treat. Aborted cows to prevent
secondary infection.
 Brucella species are readily killed
by :
-70% ethanol
-2-3% caustic soda
-2.5% sodium hypochlorite
-20% freshly slaked lime suspension
-2% formaldehyde solution .
 however, organic matter and low temperatures
decrease the efficacy of disinfectants.
B) Bull
-Slaughter
-Diluted semen ??
-Deep frozen semen ??
2-Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)
Mode of transmission:
1-Mmn. of resp. and dig.
syst.
2-Infected semen
(natural service or AI)
 Clinical signs
1-Subclinical form
2-Acute form
(profuse dirr., elevated temp.,
erosion of gastrointestinal
tract)
3-Chronic form
(loss appetite, emaciation, mild
dirr., ret. growth)
4-Mucosal form
-most sever form
-seen in 8-18 month old
-all signs in acute form +
ulceration of oral cavity and
mn. of dig. syst.
-animal dies within 2 weeks
5-Effect on reproduction
depends upon stage of preg. at which
the cow become infected:
A-During 1st month of gestation
(EED) i.p. est. cyc.
B-2nd to 4th month of gestation
* (abortion with mummified f. or
abnormalities of CNS and
retarded growth )
 *some infected cows carry f. to
term persistently infected
calves (carriers)

C-5th to 7th month of gestation

abortion or live calve with CNS
&eye abnormalities
 Diagnosis
1-Clinical signs: Particularly
abortion with congenitally
deformed f.
2-Isolation of the virus
(spleen, lung, kidney).
3-Presence of antibodies
 Control
1-Breeding non-persistently
infected cows (serological
Ts)
2-Vaccination
 3-Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis
(IBR-IPV)
-It causes respiratory diseases
of cattle with conjunctivitis.
-It also causes a disease of
genital organs in cows and bulls.
This form is known as infectious
pustular vulvovaginitis (IPV)
 Mode of transmission

Genital form is
transmitted venereally
 Clinical signs
1-Vulvovaginitis in cows
2-Infectious pustular
balanoposthitis in bulls
3-Abortion
-common sequel to infection
with or without previous
respiratory signs.
-13%-only after 6m. Pregnancy.
3-Non-Venereal diseases
 1-Neosporoses
-Recently recognized protozoan
parasite
Mode of transmission
-Neospora caninum has a life
cycle, with the reproductive
stage occurring in the intestine
of the the dog and the fox
(definitive host) .
 Oocysts passed in the feces
of the definitive host are
ingested by cattle
(intermediate host) , and
form tissue cysts.
Transplacental transmission,
that is passage from
mother to offspring during
pregnancy occurs in dogs,
cats, sheep and cattle.
 Thismode of transmission
would explain the
maintenance of infection in a
population of cattle despite
the lack of definitive host
for the parasite.
 Clinical symptoms
-No clinical signs on either the
dam or aborted fetus.
- Abortion storm reached to
30%
-Abortion date 4-6 m. of
gestation
-Infected cows can produce
calves which are apparently
normal ,but are congenitally
infected. or which are born
alive with neurologic limb
defect.
-Aborted cows suffer from
low milk production due to
mastitis
 Diagnosis
1-Detection of parasite
(Placenta, brain, heart muscles
of aborted fetus.)
2-Detection of specific
antibodies in serum or fetal
fluid using ELISA.
 Control
1-Irradication of dogs ,fetal
mn. and aborted fetus.
2-Vaccine is now available
3-Culling infected cows is not
accebtable
 2-Leptospirosis
It is a zoonotic disease caused
by 5 strains.

The most common:

-L. pomona
-L. hardjo
Mode of transmission:
1-Skin abrations
2-Mmn. of the eye,
mouth or nose
-Pathogenesis
-Clinical symptoms:
1-Fever with *haemoglobinurea
2-Abortion at last trimester (25-30%),
stillbirth or birth of weakly calves.
3- Low milk production due to
mastitis
 Diagnosis
1-Clinical symptoms
2-Isolation of the org. in fetal
organs (lung, kidney and
adrenal gland)
3-Specific antibodies in fetal sera
 Treatment and control
1-Strict segregation of cattle from
pig,rodents and sheep.
2-Fencing off or drain contaminated
water
3-Vaccination with antibiotic
treatment
(25mg/kg.b.wt. of streptomycin or
dihydrostreptomycin)
 3-Listeriosis
Causative agent:
L.Monocytogenes
Gram positive rods.

-CNS org. causing encephalitis

in cattle and sheep.
 Mode of transmission
 Infected animals can shed L.
monocytogenes in the feces,
milk and uterine discharges.
 Soil or fecal contamination
results in its presence on plants
and in silage.
 Inruminants, listeriosis
typically occurs after the
consumption of contaminated
silage or other feed.
 Mode of transmission
(cont.)
-Ubiquitous nature (soil,env.,bedd,food)
*-poor quality silage of higher PH
than normal.
-Ingestion
-Mmn. of respiratory system ,conjunctiva
and
CNS.
-Org. Placenta Placentitis

Abortion
 Clinical signs
 Listeriosisis usually
characterized by encephalitis,
abortions or septicemia.
 Abortions and encephalitis do
not occur concurrently in a
group of animals.
 In the encephalitic form:
The initial symptoms of depression
and anorexia are followed by
neurologic signs.
-Animals become recumbent during
the final stages of the disease.
-The infected animals surviving for 4
to14 days.
 Clinical symptoms
In abortion form:
-Sporadic abortion at last
trimester.
-Ret. plac., endomet., fever and
loss weight.
-Fetus has a characteristic
multiple yellow or grey necrotic
foci in liver and cotyledons.
 Diagnosis
Identification of the
organism in fetal liver and
abomasum .in addition to
serum, placenta, vaginal
discharge and CSF of
dam.
 Treatment and control
-Withhold silage from cow,s
feeding
-Treatment of the non-
aborted cows with
oxytetracyclin and pencillin
to minimize the infection.
 4-Rift Valley Fever
(Inf. Enz. Hepatitis) “V”
)‫(حمى الوادى المتصدع‬
An acute febrile disease
of sheep and cattle
causing high mortality of
calves and lambs.
 Mode of transmission
- Blood sucking
mosquitoes
 Clinical symptoms
-High mortality rate (95-
100%) in lambs and calves
-Fever, anorexia, profuse
salivation, and abd. Pain
accompanied with abortion
in cows and ewes.
 Diagnosis
-High mortality rate in calves and
lambs, but less in adults.
-High incidence of abortion in
cows and ewes
-Extensive liver lesions.
-Identification of the virus.
 Treatment and control
-Vaccination
-Eradication of insects
5-Mycotic or Fungal causes
*Causative organism:
Aspergillus fumigatus (fungus)

*Incidence:
0.5-16%
Highest incidence after rains??
 Mode of transmission
1-Inhalation
2-Ingestion mould spores

Spores through lesions in

resp. or dig. Syst. Placentitis

Abortion
Abortion
-Sporadic
-5th to 7th month of gestation
-In 30%, fetus may be normal
in appearance but mould grow
in skin in patches resembling
ring worm.
 Causes
1-Campylobacteriosis (Vibriosis)
-C.intestinalis-10-20% abortion in last 4-6w.
of gestation or stillbirth
-Not venereal (oral)
-The fetus is usually autolyzed, with 40%
having orange-yellow necrotic foci (1-2
cm diameter) in the liver
-Infection after 3 m. preg. not cause
abortion.
-Immunity (not permanent)??
-During outbreak antibiotic tr. Is
beneficial to prevent abortion.
-The disease tends to be cyclical,
with epizootics occurring every
4-5 yr; therefore, vaccination
programs, which help prevent
outbreaks, should be consistently
practiced.
2-Brucellosis
-In sheep: Br.meletensis-abo.
and ovis
-In goats: Br.meletensis
-Abortion:40-60%- last third
-Not trans. Venereally (oral)
Br.ovis.
-Lower incidence of ab.(7-10%)
-In ram (Epididymitis)????
-Transmitted orally and vener.
3-Paratyphoid
-Oral tran.
-Abortion at last third of gestation
4-Listeriosis
-As in cattle
5-Viral causes
a. Enzootic ab. In ewes (EAE)
b. Rift valley
c. Blue tongue
 Causes
1-Streptococcus genitalium
-normal inhabitant on ext. genitalia
of mare and stallion (Ven.)
-abortion 10-20%-2nd half to
last third of gest.
-ret. Of placenta
2-Salmonella abortus equi
-Oral transmission
-Ab. 50-90% . Bet.6-9m. of gestation

3-Equine herpes virus

-Trans. By inhalation and may orally
-Ab. 90%- 8-11m. Of gestation