Premium
Abortion in sheep 1. Investigation and principal causes
Author(s) -
Mearns Rebecca
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
in practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.211
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 2042-7689
pISSN - 0263-841X
DOI - 10.1136/inpract.29.1.40
Subject(s) - abortion , flock , outbreak , medicine , veterinary medicine , pregnancy , biology , virology , genetics
ABORTION in sheep flocks is estimated to have a national annual incidence of 2 to 3 per cent, although some flocks may experience abortion storms involving large numbers of ewes. This article, the first of two on ovine abortion, discusses the priorities in the event of an outbreak, and reviews the diagnosis, and available options for control and prevention, of the most common infectious causes of abortion in the UK: namely, Chlamydophila abortus (the agent of enzootic abortion of ewes), Toxoplasma gondii and Campylobacter species. Together, these make up over 70 per cent of diagnoses based on submissions of abortion material at veterinary disease surveillance centres throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Part 2, to be published in the next issue, will discuss other common infectious causes, as well as some exotic diseases that pose an abortion risk to UK flocks.