Repro pt 3 Flashcards
What is early embryonic death (EED)?
death up to 35-45 days post conception in LA, 20 days in SA
often go unnoticed or open animals, nothing to submit to lab, usually non-infectious - major chromosomal anomalies
What is abortion?
expulsion of fetus prior to the time of viability
What is a stillbirth?
expulsion of a dead fetus at the time of viability
What is a non-viable neonate?
delivery of a live, weak-born animal
What are the 2 important infectious causes of EED in cattle?
Tritrichomonas fetus
Campylobacter fetus ssp venerialis
why is the diagnostic rate of fetal loss so low?
- no/little knowledge of maternal health
- maybe not receiving placenta (some things are only diagnosable by placenta)
- fetus retained in utero and autolysis obscured lesions
What are factors that improve diagnostic rate?
- outbreak vs sporadic abortion
- infectious cause – 90% of cases with a diagnosis
- fresh fetus
- include placenta
What are the 2 very broad categories of fetal loss? which is more common? what is the exception?
infectious and non-infectious
infectious
horses – large number of non-infectious causes of fetal loss - many of them have to do with lack of placental reserve
What are the non-infectious causes of fetal loss common to all species?
- anomalies
- nutritional diseases (excess or deficiency)
- toxicosis (plants)
- hyperthermia
- environmental stresses (trauma)
what are the non-infectious causes of fetal loss unique to horses?
- twinning
- inadequate villus development (endometrial fibrosis)
- premature placental separation
- body pregnancy
- umbilical cord anomalies (torsion, excessive length)
Give me examples of bacteria that are infectious causes one fetal loss in multiple species? which ones are zoonotic?
- Brucella spp.
- Campylobacter spp.
- Chlamydia abortus
- Coxiella burnetii
- Leptospira spp.
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Mycoplasma spp.
- Salmonella spp.
- Ureaplasma spp
everything is zoonotic except for Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma
Give me 2 broad categories of viruses that cause fetal loss in multiple species. Which are zoonotic?
Herpesviruses and Pestiviruses
neither are zoonotic (host specific)
Give me examples of protozoa that cause fetal loss in multiple species. which ones are zoonotic?
Toxoplasma gondii
Neospora caninum
Toxoplasma is zoonotic
Give me the gross appearance of organs from an animal with herpesvirus (works w/ multiple spp). what histo feature should you know?
multifocal, 1-2mm, white foci of necrosis. Most commonly in the liver, but any organ can be affected incl. lung, kidney, adrenal gland, brain
histo: intranuclear inclusion bodies
Describe what lesions an animal with pestivirus has (works with multiple spp).
fetal death or persistent infection or fetal malformation (often CNS). depending on virus strain, fetal age, and fetal immune system development
What is the most common route of infection to a fetus in ruminants?
hematogenous spread to the placentome
what is the most common route of infection to a fetus in horses?
ascending infection through the “loose” cervix
What 3 things can organisms do once placentitis is established?
- penetrate amnion to colonize skin
- inhalation/ingestion of contaminated amniotic fluid
- spread through umbilical vessels to the liver and hematogenously throughout fetus
Give me the diagnostic process for fetal loss.
- examine the placenta for any abnormalities
- external examination of the fetus for evidence of fetal distress, congenital abnormalities, skin lesions
- estimate/verify the gestational age of the fetus
- determine the state of preservation at the time of expulsion
- classify the fetal death (abortion, stillbirth, non-viable neonate)
- perform a routine necropsy and record any gross findings
What is being shown here? Is it a lesion?
amniotic plaques, seen in all species
not a lesion
What is being shown here? Is it a lesion?
adventitial placentation in cattle. basically there is placental insufficiency so there is intercotyledonary placentation to compensate for this.
not a lesion itself, but often accompanies placentitis because there is an insufficiency going on
What is this? is it a lesion?
hippomane
not a lesion, it is normal (esp in horses)
are there usually any gross lesions seen with viral infections in the placenta?
no
what is placentitis?
inflammation of the fetal membranes
What are the two broad categories of placentitis?
Cotyledonary and intercotyledonary
This is a bovine placenta. What is the lesion?
intercotyledonary and cotyledonary placentitis
With intercotyledonary and cotyledonary placentitis, what etiologies should you think of first?
bacterial and fungal
esp Brucella spp (depending on location)
this is a bovine placenta. What is the lesion?
mycotic placentitis
Describe the gross appearance of mycotic placentitis. Is it intercotyledonary or cotyledonary?
exaggerated cotyledonary cupping, leathery appearance, infarction
both
This is an ovine placenta. What is the lesion? what is your primary differential for etiology?
cotyledonary placentitis caused by protozoal infection
toxoplasmosis/Toxoplasma gondii
describe the gross appearance of a placenta infected with a protozoa. what is the most common protozoa to infect a placenta in small ruminants?
cotyledonary placentitis with pinpoint foci of necrosis and mineralization
Toxoplasma gondii