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Infectious sporadic bovine abortions: retrospective analysis
María A Fiorentino1,2, Yamila Acuña3, Emiliano Sosa3
1Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible (IPADS) Balcarce, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina. fiorentino.maria@inta.gob.ar.
Tropical Animal Health and Production
|January 30, 2024
Summary
Opportunistic bacteria and fungi cause infectious sporadic bovine abortions. Escherichia coli, Trueperella pyogenes, and Histophilus somni were the most common bacterial culprits, with Aspergillus spp. causing fungal abortions.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Microbiology
- Pathology
Background:
- Infectious sporadic abortions in cattle are frequently linked to opportunistic microorganisms.
- These microbes are commonly found in the environment and the microbiota of healthy animals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the primary opportunistic microorganisms responsible for bovine abortions.
- To analyze data from a long-term retrospective study (1997-2023) at INTA Balcarce, Argentina.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of bovine abortion cases.
- Identification of causative agents through microbial cultures (bacteria and fungi) from fetal samples (abomasal content and/or lung).
- Correlation of microbiological findings with histopathological examination of fetal tissues.
Main Results:
- Opportunistic agents accounted for 2.2% of all diagnosed bovine abortion etiologies.
- Bacteria caused 90% of infectious abortions, with Escherichia coli (8 cases), Trueperella pyogenes (5 cases), and Histophilus somni (4 cases) being predominant.
- Fungal abortions (10%) were solely attributed to Aspergillus spp. (3 cases).
- Common microscopic findings included bronchopneumonia, myo- and epicarditis, meningitis, and portal hepatitis.
Conclusions:
- Emphasizes the significance of microbial cultures in diagnosing bovine abortions.
- Highlights the role of opportunistic bacteria like E. coli, T. pyogenes, and H. somni, and fungi like Aspergillus spp.
- Stresses the importance of integrating microbiological and histopathological findings for accurate etiological diagnosis.
