Etiologic Evaluation of Late Term Abortions or Stillbirths in Some Small Ruminant Flocks of South Khorasan Province, Iran

Abstract

In the present study, late term abortions in 477 (17.9%) of 2651 pregnant ewes and 129 of 680 pregnant goats (18.9%) from 17 small ruminant flocks of the South Khorasan province, east of Iran were investigated. Multistage cluster sampling technique was used to select the flocks and aborted animals. From which, 25 appropriate fetuses were chosen for bacterial and fungal contaminations. Blood samples were also taken from forty aborted and forty healthy age matched sheep. No microbial or fungal agents were detected in 45.4 % and 42.8% of sheep and goat,s fetuses respectively. The bacteria isolated from aborted fetuses of sheep and goat´s were as follows: Escherichia coli 27.2% and 7.1%, Staphylococcus spp. 9.0% and 7.1%, Campylobacter fetus 9.0% and 14.2%, Staphylococcus spp. and Campylobacter fetus together 9.0% and 0.0 %, Klebsiellas 0.0 % and 21.4%, Aspergillus fumigatus 0.0 % and 7.1%, respectively. The concentrations of total tri-iodothyronine (tT3), total thyroxin (tT4), copper, phosphorus and magnesium were significantly lower, but thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was higher in the aborted ewes compared to the healthy controls. The serum levels of calcium, zinc and vitamin E were not significantly different between the two groups. In conclusion, deficiencies of tT3, tT4, copper, phosphorus and magnesium, and increase in the TSH concentration could have taken part in the etiology of abortion in ewes.  The most important cause of late term abortions was probably due to the maternal deficiencies (for example, iodine) in the concurrent drought in the province.

Keywords

• Abortion, bacteria, blood parameters, drought

İran Güney Horasan Bölgesi’ndeki Küçük Ruminant Sürülerinde Geç Dönem Abortların veya Ölü Doğumların Etyolojik Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, doğu İran’da Güney Horasan bölgesinde 17 küçük ruminant sürüsündeki 2651 gebe koyundan geç dönem abort yapan 477’si (%17,9) ve 680 gebe keçiden 17’si incelenmiştir. Sürülerin ve abort yapan hayvanların seçiminde çok aşamalı küme örnekleme tekniği kullanılmıştır. İçlerinden bakteriyel ve fungal kontaminasyona uygun 25 fötus seçilmiştir. Yaşları birbiriyle eş olan kırk adet abort yapmış ve kırk adet de sağlıklı koyundan kan örnekleri alınmıştır. %45,4 koyun ve %42,8 keçi fötusunda ne mikrobiyel ne de fungal bir ajan saptanamamıştır. Abort olan koyun ve keçi fötüslarından izole edilen bakteriler sırasıyla: Escherichia  coli %27,2 ve %7,1, Staphylococcus spp. %9,0 ve %7,1, Campylobacter fetus %9,0 ve %14,2, Staphylococcus spp. ile Campylobacter fetus birlikte %9,0 ve %0,0, Klebsiellas %0,0 ve %21,4, Aspergillus fumigates %0,0 ve%7,1 olarak tespit edilmiştir. Abort yapan dişiler kontrol amaçlı sağlıklı dişiler ile karşılaştırıldığında total tri-iodotironin (tT3), total tiroksin (tT4), bakır, fosfor ve magnezyum konsantrasyonları önemli düzeyde düşük iken tiroid stimule edici hormon (TSH) daha yüksek bulunmuştur. İki grup arasındaki serum kalsiyum, çinko ve Vitamin E değerlerinin birbirinden farkı önemli düzeyde değildi. Sonuç olarak, tT3, tT4, bakır, fosfor ve magnezyum, ve TSH konsantrasyonundaki artış dişi koyun ve keçilerdeki abortun etyolojisinde yer alabilir. Geç dönem abortlarının en önemli sebebi bölgedeki eşzamanlı kuraklık nedeniyle annede meydana gelen eksikliklerdir (örneğin iyot).

Keywords

• Abort, bakteri, kan

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