How Far Along Can You Abort Beef Heifers
Guide B-228
John C. Wenzel and Timothy J. Hanosh
College of Agronomical, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico Country University
Authors: Respectively, Extension Veterinarian, Section of Extension Brute Sciences and Natural Resources; and Associate Professor, Southwest Border Food Safety and Defence Center, both of New Mexico Land University. (Impress Friendly PDF)
Abortion and loss of pregnancy in beef cattle tin can occur for a diverseness of reasons. Many times the reason for the loss is complex and difficult to diagnose. This guide will briefly outline and discuss some of the more common diseases and causes of loss of pregnancy. If a loss of pregnancy is suspected, contact your local veterinarian for assistance and advice for diagnosis and control of the causative amanuensis in the pregnancy loss. The following are some helpful steps to take when an abortion is identified.
CAUTION: Many diseases that crusade abortion in cattle are caused by pathogens that tin cause disease in people. Follow good biosecurity measures and utilise personal protective equipment such equally latex gloves and a mask when handling the aborted fetus and materials. Employ disinfectant soap when washing later handling aborted materials.
1. Contact your local veterinarian.
two. Identify and isolate the aborting cows from the rest of the herd if possible; this may help prevent the spread of the disease and makes the cows available for sample collection.
3. Save the aborted fetus and placenta by placing them in a plastic trash bag and refrigerating. If fetus and/or placenta are frozen when establish, keep frozen until submitting to a veterinarian diagnostic laboratory. Practise not wash the fetus or placenta.
4. Record all herd wellness practices, such as vaccinations used, date, and route of assistants; move of cattle; origin of new cattle and bulls brought into the herd; results of semen evaluations; and diagnostic test results on bulls.
v. Proceed a reproductive history on your cow herd, including conception charge per unit, calving rate, weaning rate, and dates when bulls are exposed to cows.
Bovine Virus Diarrhea
Bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) is a viral disease caused by a pestivirus with many syndromes. For this guide, only the ballgame syndrome will exist discussed. The pregnancy loss associated with BVD is dependent on when in gestation the dam is exposed to the virus. Embryonic infection in the first trimester tin can consequence in fetal reabsorption, mummification, or abortion, or tin have no effect. Calves can become persistently infected (PI) if exposed to the virus during the first 120 days of gestation. These PI calves shed the virus in body fluids for life and are a great biosecurity take a chance to the cow herd. Cattle that are exposed in the second trimester of gestation may arrest, deliver a live calf that has congenital defects that affect the encephalon and eye, deliver a weak or stillborn calf, or evangelize a normal calf. Exposure in the third trimester may result in a calf that is stillborn, live simply weak, or normal. Late-term abortions with BVD are uncommon but practice occur. Exposure to BVD virus can outcome in abortion storms when acute infections occur.
Diagnosis of BVD infections can exist difficult and may crave multiple sample submissions to accurately diagnose the presence of infection. Blood samples, ear notch samples, and examination of aborted fetuses may all provide information that is helpful in the diagnosis of BVD virus infection. Your veterinarian will need to assistance you lot evaluate the laboratory results obtained from sample submission due to the circuitous nature of this disease.
Bovine virus diarrhea is a common viral pathogen and has widespread distribution throughout the U.S. Control of BVD infection is only accomplished through prevention. Skilful biosecurity practices, isolating incoming cattle, testing for PI cattle, and developing a good vaccination program that includes properly using modified live vaccines (MLVs) are all components of a BVD prevention program. Preventing the introduction of the virus onto your bounds is the cardinal component of a BVD command program.
Brucellosis (Blindside'due south Disease)
Brucellosis was once a devastating disease that was very common in the U.S. A federal eradication program, conducted by the USDA, to eliminate the disease in cattle has been very successful, and cattle brucellosis is now limited to the greater Yellowstone surface area. The disease in cattle is acquired by the bacterium Brucella abortus, resulting in abortion in cows and infertility in bulls, and is a zoonotic disease that can cause undulant fever in humans. The bacterium tin be present in fetal fluids, milk, and semen. Many strains of brucellosis are nowadays in the U.Southward., and multiple species of animals are affected, such every bit cattle, sheep, goats, swine, dogs, and wildlife, with some cantankerous-species contagion occurring.
A high rate of abortion may occur in susceptible herds. The occurrence of abortion is dependent on when in gestation the dam is exposed to the bacterium. Cows infected at service arrest after an average of 225 days, whereas those infected at 7 months of gestation arrest about 50 days afterwards. In fully susceptible herds, ballgame rates vary from 30 to seventy percent, but may be lower in chronically infected herds. Weak, full-term calves that die shortly after birth are sometimes seen. Bulls that are exposed to the disease or vaccine may develop inflammation of the testicles or seminal vesicles, resulting in infertility.
Many tests are available to help diagnose brucellosis. Sample submission may include the fetus, membranes, and blood from the dam. This affliction is hands transmitted to humans, and the apply of personal protective equipment is highly recommended. The disease tin be controlled with good biosecurity practices and vaccination of females less than twelve months of age. Vaccination for brucellosis may just be performed by a licensed, accredited veterinarian. Some states require a negative examination before cattle are allowed to enter the state.
Campylobacteriosis (Vibriosis)
Campylobacteriosis is an abortion affliction caused by the leaner Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis and C. fetus subsp. fetus. These organisms can affect cattle, sheep, and humans. Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis is strictly a venereal disease spread through convenance. The disease acquired past this species of Campylobacter is characterized by endometritis (inflammation of the lining of the uterus) that results in early embryonic death, prolonged oestrus cycles, delayed conception, reduced fertility, and (rarely) abortion. The infection is ordinarily cocky-limiting, and almost cows recover in three to five months. Upwardly to ten percent of infected females may get chronic carriers of the illness and harbor the infection until the next breeding flavour. Some females may be rendered permanently sterile as a event of having the infection. This loss of pregnancy is usually early on in gestation, with no outward clinical signs seen in the female. In the balderdash, the infection can localize on the surface of the penis and prepuce, which tin result in prolonged survival of the organism beingness carried past the bull.
Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus may be spread venereally or by ingestion of the organism in feed contaminated with fecal cloth. The organism may be captivated from the intestine into the bloodstream where information technology gains admission to the reproductive tract. Either route of exposure may result in sporadic mid- to late-term abortions.
Laboratory diagnosis of the disease is very difficult and centers on isolating the organism in aborted materials from the cow and preputial scrapings from the bull. Fresh and properly handled diagnostic specimens are needed to isolate the organism. Ofttimes the diagnosis of vibriosis is made by ruling out other causes of reproductive loss. Prevention and control of Campylobacteriosis includes vaccination, culling infertile cows and infected bulls, purchasing replacement animals from herds with no history of the disease, and good biosecurity practices.
Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) is caused by a herpesvirus that is widely distributed in the U.S. This virus is a component of the "shipping fever complex" that can crusade astringent respiratory disease and death. Exposure to the virus from a single infected animal may result in widespread disease due to the highly contagious nature of this virus. Some animals may become chronic carriers of the virus and will shed the organism during times of stress. Natural transmission occurs by direct contact with droplets containing virus particles spread by nasal secretions or semen, or through breeding.
Abortions from IBR may occur as long as xc days after infection, with most abortions occurring after the fifth calendar month of gestation. The fetus is expressionless when expelled and may require transmission removal. A retained placenta is a mutual result of IBR ballgame. The charge per unit of abortion may be very loftier in a susceptible herd. An abortion storm may effect without prior clinical signs.
Laboratory diagnosis of IBR infection is based on isolation of the organism in an aborted fetus or fetal membranes, or with serologic testing on the aborting dam. Multiple serum samples may exist required to diagnose the disease.
Prevention and control of IBR infection centers around preventing exposure to the virus and sound vaccination practices. Improper use of MLVs may result in abortions; therefore, MLVs should be used under the management of your veterinarian. Research has shown that properly used MLVs are the near effective tool in preventing viral infection. Skilful biosecurity practices, such every bit isolating new additions to the herd or isolating animals with clinical signs that include respiratory disease or abortion, are also of import for preventing and controlling IBR and many other diseases.
Leptospirosis (Lepto)
Leptospirosis is a disease acquired by spirochetes (a type of bacteria) of the genus Leptospira. In cattle, many different symptoms, including abortion, stillborn, and reproductive failure, may result from Leptospira infection. There are many different species of Leptospira widely distributed throughout the U.S. Several species have singled-out strains, or serovars, that take unlike antigens. In cattle, the species of importance are Fifty. hardjo, 50. canicola, 50. icterohaemorrhagiae, L. pomona, and L. grippotyphosa. The disease is transmitted venereally, across the placenta, through breaks in the pare, or is absorbed beyond mucus membranes. A mutual road of infection for livestock is past ingesting h2o contaminated with infected urine excreted by wildlife. There is an increase in human being cases of Leptospirosis due to contact with infected livestock.
The disease tin cause abortions, infertility, mastitis, or weak or stillborn calves. Low conception rates are a common finding in a herd with Lepto. Severe abortion storms of late-term pregnancies may be seen when susceptible herds are exposed to the organism. This organism has an affinity for the urinary tract and may be nowadays in urine even when no clinical signs are seen. Kidney infections with Leptospira may be mild to astringent, with death being possible. Urine from an infected animate being is a risk to other animals and humans.
Laboratory diagnosis of Leptospirosis is based on isolation of the organism by culturing organs from an aborted fetus or fetal membranes, by paired serum samples on the aborting dam, or past multiple other laboratory methods of identifying the organism.
Prevention and control of this illness includes vaccination, skilful biosecurity practices such every bit isolating animals that accept aborted, and limiting exposure to rodents and wildlife. The response to treatment of this disease using antibiotics is variable depending on the species of Leptospira involved and the severity of clinical disease.
Trichomoniasis (Trich)
Trichomoniasis in cattle is a strict venereal disease caused by the protozoa Tritrichomonas fetus and has widespread distribution in the western U.S. This is an economically devastating affliction due to the large reproductive loss. The bull is a mechanical spreader of the organism, and no treatment for the bull is bachelor.
The illness is characterized by an increase in open cows at pregnancy detection, decreased weaning weights, and a prolonged calving flavor. Generally, no other clinical signs are seen. Cows contract the disease by being bred by an infected balderdash. The organism enters the reproductive tract and usually causes a loss of pregnancy early in gestation. The cow will develop an immune response, cycle three to five times, and usually clear the infection and settle several months afterwards contracting the illness. While the cow is mounting the immune response, she can infect any bull that breeds her. Two to iii percent of infected cows may become carrier cows and harbor the disease for a prolonged period of time. Some cows develop an infected pus-filled uterus that may be detected during palpation for pregnancy.
The balderdash is a mechanical spreader of the organism. He contracts the disease by breeding an infected moo-cow. The organism lives on the surface of the reproductive tract of the bull and causes no allowed response. In older bulls, the prepuce and penis have more crypts or fissures in the surface and therefore harbor the organism more easily than younger bulls; however, bulls as young as one yr of age have been shown to be chronically infected. There is no treatment for infected bulls, and in one case diagnosed equally positive they should be sold for slaughter as soon every bit possible.
Laboratory diagnosis is based on detection of the DNA of the Trich organism. Diagnosis of the affliction in cows is very hard and rarely attempted; therefore, samples obtained from preputial scrapings of bulls are submitted for diagnosis.
Prevention and control of Trichomoniasis includes a defined breeding flavour, monitoring of pregnancy rates, almanac testing of bulls, vaccination of susceptible cows, and good biosecurity practices such as purchasing replacement cattle from known Trich-negative herds. Trichomoniasis is a reportable illness in New Mexico, and testing for Trich can only be performed past veterinarians certified by the New United mexican states Livestock Lath.
Reference
Coetzer, J.A.W., and R.C. Tustin (Eds). 2005. Infectious diseases of livestock, 2d ed. Oxford, Great britain: Oxford University Press.
John C. Wenzel is the Extension veterinarian in the Extension Animate being Sciences and Natural Resource department at NMSU. He earned his B.Southward. from NMSU and his DVM from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. His work focuses on cow/calf medicine and preventative health programs for livestock producers in southwestern New United mexican states.
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Printed and electronically distributed June 2011, Las Cruces, NM
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