Unit 2 - Small Ruminant Reproductive Flashcards
What is the most common diagnosis for abortions?
Unknown cause
What percentage of ovine abortions have a diagnosed cause?
30-50% - 70-80% of which are infectious
What are the ‘three’ most common causes of abortion?
Campylobacter jejuni and C. fetus
Toxoplasma gondii
Chlamydia abortus
When diagnosing the cause of abortion in small ruminants, what samples are important to submit?
The fetus and the placenta
What is the most common Campylobacter species that causes abortion in the US?
C. jejuni
What are the two strains of C. jejuni that cause abortions?
Hypervirulent and Sheep abortion
Where is C. jejuni carried?
In the intestinal tract
How is C. jejuni transmitted?
Fecal-oral
Is Campylobacter abortion more common in sheep or goats?
Sheep
T/F: Sheep show non-specific signs of disease when infected with Campylobacter.
False - there are no premonitory signs of disease; the ewe isn’t sick
When does Campylobacter abortion happen?
In the last 6 weeks of gestation
What is the pathogenesis of Campylobacter abortion?
Campylobacter colonizes in the intestines and causes bacteremia. Bacteria gets to the placentomes resulting in placentitis and fetal infection
What placental lesions does Campylobacter cause?
Non-specific: Yellowish foci on cotyledons to yellowish exudate covering the whole cotyledon
What other lesions does Campylobacter cause?
Necrotic foci on the liver in 40% of aborted lambs
Generalized autolysis of the fetus and blood-tinged edema
How is Campylobacter diagnosed?
Gross liver lesions
Darkfield or phase contrast of cotyledons, fetal stomach contents, and vaginal discharge
Culture
FA or IHC in some labs
What is the ‘treatment’ for Campylobacter abortion?
Draxxin or other long-acting macrolides
How do you prevent Campylobacter infection?
Do not mix ewes when they are pregnant
Immunization
What species of Campylobacter do its bacterins contain?
C. fetus ss fetus and C. jejuni
What is the protocol for Campylobacter immunization in ewe lambs and previously unimmunized ewes?
One dose pre-breeding
Second dose at 3-4 months of gestation
What is the protocol for Campylobacter immunization in previously immunized ewes?
One dose at 3-4 months of gestation
What is the etiologic agent of enzootic abortion?
Chlamydia abortus
When does infection for enzootic abortion occur? From what?
At any time from fecal-oral or from aborted fetus
What is the pathogenesis of enzootic abortion?
The organism usually stays in the intestine until the last trimester. During the last trimester, the organism enters the blood stream and infects the fetus.
Abortion typically occurs 30-40 days following infection (in pregnant ewes)
T/F: If a pregnant ewe is infected from an aborted fetus/vaginal discharge, she usually does not abort until the subsequent pregnancy.
True
Ewes and does may have _____ discharge 2-3 days before aborting due to Chlamydia.
yellowish
What does a Chlamydia infected placenta look like?
Cotyledons are necrotic, gray-brown in color with areas of leathery consistency
What lesions does Chlamydia cause in aborted fetuses?
Focal necrosis, hemorrhage, enlarged lymph nodes, ascites, and increased pleural fluid
Not pathognomonic
How is Chlamydia diagnosed?
Gross lesions Exfoliative cytology IHC of impression smears or sections of cotyledons IIFA Serodiagnosis Culture
How do you treat/prevent chlamydia infection?
Feed tetracycline during the last semester
Immunization - killed bacterins in the US
Where is Toxoplasma gondii harbored?
In cats
Clinical signs/lesions from T. gondii are dependent upon when the fetus was infected. What occurs if the fetus is infected at 0-2 months?
Fetus is resporbed
Clinical signs/lesions from T. gondii are dependent upon when the fetus was infected. What occurs if the fetus is infected at mid-gestation?
Abortion