Monitoring different causal patterns of bovine abortion syndrome

Abstract

Bovine Abortion Syndrome (bas) has a significant impact on commercial dairies. Abortion rates vary between 2 and 20 % and there is little information regarding non-infectious factors affecting fetal stages. We analyzed the joint relationship of infectious and non-infectious factors with the probability of abortion in dairy cows. We used dairy cows from the Ñuble province of Chile (n = 148) at 42 days of pregnancy. We then took monthly blood samples until abortion or calving. We determined plasma concentrations for the following: amino transferase, albumin, cholesterol, globulin, fibrinogen, â-hydroxybutyrate, retinol, á-tocopherol, calcium, phosphorus, glutathione peroxidase, total proteins and urea. Serology was performed for infectious diseases and body conditions were recorded. Our study used a multivariable logistic regression model and proportional hazard regression. There was an (p < 0.05) association with abortion, (or = 4.27) for Neospora caninum and (hr = 94.35) for Leptospira interrogans, with a low cholesterol concentration (p < 0.05) in the fourth month of pregnancy (or = 0.61), and a decrease in body condition from month three to four (or = 0.32). bas is associated with negative energy balances, protective effects of high cholesterol plasma concentrations in the first trimester of gestation and incidences of Neospora caninum, Leptospira interrogans, and a conjunction of the two. It is important to provide epidemiological surveillance tools that help anticipate herd reproductive losses through management measures, infectious disease control and proper nutritional management.

Multivariate and Epidemiological Analysis of a Complex Problem: Bovine Abortion

“…Based on the information regarding infectious causes and considering the above bias, the principal infectious agents reported as causing abortion in countries with a pasturebased system for milk production have been the following: In Argentina: brucellosis, C. fetus, Escherichia coli, bovine herpes virus, BVDV, neosporosis (NEO) [23,24].…”

“…The aim of the study [23] was to investigate the possible associations between bovine abortion syndrome and various factors, such as metabolic disorders and infectious diseases. The study design was a prospective observational cohort, in which cows that experienced abortion were compared with cows that did not.…”

“…The results of the analysis for metabolic disorders and infectious diseases [23] indicated different potential aetiologies based on the data collected from the farms under investigation. In farm A, non-infectious factors (energy deficits, protein liver damage, inflammation) were more dominant, except for one abortion case due to neosporosis seropositivity.…”

“…The study [23] that analysed 18 abortion cases due to different disorders and infections is summarised in Table 1. Table 1 also shows the abortion month for each case.…”

“…Detailed analysis of each abortion case presented in the southern Chile study[23] according to possible causal patterns.…”