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Investigating risk factors and possible infectious aetiologies of mummified fetuses on a large piggery in Australia
Author(s) -
Dron N,
HernándezJover M,
Doyle RE,
Holyoake PK
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
australian veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1751-0813
pISSN - 0005-0423
DOI - 10.1111/avj.12270
Subject(s) - fetus , biology , medicine , pregnancy , genetics
Objective To investigate risk factors and potential infectious aetiologies of an increased mummification rate (>2%) identified over time on a 1200‐sow farrow‐to‐finish farm in A ustralia. Methods Association of potential non‐infectious risk factors and the mummification rate was investigated using 15 years of breeding herd data (40,940 litters) and logistic regression analysis. Samples from a limited number of mummified fetuses were taken to identify potential infectious aetiologies (porcine parvovirus, Leptospira pomona , porcine circovirus type 2, Bungowannah virus and enterovirus). Results Logistic regression analysis suggested that the mummification rate was significantly associated with sow breed and parity, year and total born and stillborn piglets per litter. The mummification rate was lower (P < 0.001) in Landrace (3.4%) and Large White (2.6%) sows than in D uroc sows (4.9%). Gilts (2.9%) had a lower (P < 0.001) mummification rate than older sows. The mummification rate increased with total born litter size and decreased with the number of stillborn piglets (P < 0.001). A clustering effect within individual sows was identified, indicating that some sows with mummified fetuses in a litter were more likely to have repeated mummifications in subsequent litters. No infectious agents were identified in the samples taken. Conclusion Results from this study suggest that the increased mummification rate identified over time on this farm is likely to be a non‐infectious multifactorial problem predisposing the occurrence of mummification. Further research is required to better understand the pathophysiology of mummification and the role that different non‐infectious factors play in the occurrence of mummified fetuses.