PubMed · 15955432
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Cheyney Meadows. 2005. Reproductive record analysis.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2005.02.001
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Twelve aborted foetuses (gestational ranged from 4-9 months) and dams from dairies cattle farms in (Mashhad) Iran were analysed to investigate the participation of Neospora caninum in abortion. Diagnosis of the infection was determined by histopathology, serology (indirect fluorescent antibody test [IFAT]) and semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total 33% of bovine foetuses were considered to be infected by PCR technique. Microscopic lesions consistent with N. caninum infection in foetal brains were observed in 25% of the samples, whereas 33% were positive using IFAT (with a cut-off titre of 1:20). This study confirms the importance of N. caninum as an important cause of abortion in Iran.
Q fever is a zoonosis caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii. Aborting domestic ruminants are the main source of human infection. In January 2003, an abortion episode occurred in a dairy caprine herd where 18/60 (30%) goats experienced reproductive problems: 4/60 (7%) aborted and 14/60 (23%) had stillbirths. Serological screening for abortion-related infectious diseases suggested Q fever. The diagnosis of C. burnetii infection was confirmed with PCR based on the occurrence of C. burnetii shedding into vaginal mucus, faeces and colostrums taken after kidding from the affected animals. The pregnancy following this episode resulted in one abortion and four stillbirths; three of those goats had already experienced reproductive failure during the previous kidding season. The seroprevalence of C. burnetii infection and the bacteria shedding were investigated using both ELISA and PCR assays, respectively, during the course of the initial and subsequent kidding seasons. Serological testing, performed on the whole herd 6 weeks after the abortion episode, showed 48/60 (80%) of ELISA positive goats. PCR assay performed on both vaginal swab and milk samples showed that the bacterium was shed for almost four months after the outbreak. C. burnetii DNA was also amplified from vaginal swab and milk samples taken from goats after the second kidding season. Furthermore, the bacteria were found into 14 vaginal swabs and 12 milk samples taken from infected females at both kidding seasons.
Progesterone has been reported to reduce Th1 responses during pregnancy. Thus, given that an excessive Th1 response could lead to abortion in Neospora-infected dairy cows, we hypothesized a reduction in abortion risk following progesterone supplementation during the mid-gestation period in these animals. Seropositive animals were assigned on day 120 of gestation to a Control (n=33) or Treatment (n=34) group. Treatment consisted of progesterone supplementation by fitting a progesterone releasing intravaginal device containing 1.55g of progesterone for 28 days. Mean Neospora caninum antibody titres tested by ELISA on days 40, 90 and 120 of gestation were used to classify the cows as showing high (> or =30 units) or low (<30 units) titration. Abortion rate showed a significant increase (P<0.01) in the Treatment group (35%) compared to the Control (9%). Using logistic regression procedures, there was a significant (P<0.0001) interaction between progesterone treatment and antibody titration. Progesterone-treated cows with a high antibody titre showed a likelihood of abortion 14.3 times higher than those not treated, while in cows with low antibody titres, exogenous progesterone had not effect. Our results do not support our starting hypothesis and suggest that progesterone supplementation in cows with high N. caninum antibody titres increases the risk of abortion possibly by affecting cell-mediated immune responses.