| Cause | AHL | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| No diagnosis | 33 | |
| Non infectious | 0 | |
| Infectious | 60 | |
| Campylobacter | 0 | |
| Chlamydia | 17 | |
| Coxiella | 0 | |
| Toxoplasma | 17 | |
Gaffney et al (2015) reported on the finding of endometrial amyloidosis in Californian dairy goats with late term abortion and mummification. The kids have cerebral necrosis and amyloid is present in the endometrium including the caruncles. The protein is SAA3.
Gaffney PM, Barr B, Rowe JD, Bett C, Drygiannakis I, Giannitti I, Trejo M, Ghassemian M, Martin P, Masliah E, Sigurdson CJ. Protein profiling of isolated uterine AA amyloidosis causing fetal death in goats. FASEB J 2015 Mar;29: 911-919..
Senigalia (Mimosa) tenuiflora
In Brazil, pregnant goats that eat the leaves of this plant can produce fetuses with craniofacial abnormalities, ocular abnormalities and arthrogryposis.
Pimentel LA, Correa FR, Gardner D, Panter KE, Dantas AF, Medeiros RM, Mota RA, Araújo JA. Mimosa tenuiflora as a cause of malformations in ruminants in the northeastern Brazilian semiarid rangelands. Vet Pathol. 2007; 44: 928-931.
Chlamydia
The most common Chlamydia found in caprine abortion is Chlamydia abortus. The lesions are placental necrosis, placentitis and vasculitis. Fetal hepatitis is sometimes seen.
Occasionally Chlamydia pecorum is found. The lesions are the same as with Chlamydia abortus and additionally, fetal enteritis is also seen (Giannitti et al 2016)
Giannitti F, Anderson M, Miller M, Rowe J, Sverlow K, Vasquez M, Cantón G. Chlamydia pecorum: fetal and placental lesions in sporadic caprine abortion. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2016; 28: 184-189.
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Family Enterobacteriaceae)
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, a gram-negative aerobic or facultative anaerobic rod, is a recognised bacterial cause of abortion. The route of infection is feco oral, and infection of the placenta and then the fetus occurs at the late to full term period, or at least that is when the lesions are found. Necorsuppurative placentitis is reported. Fetal sepsis with intravascular emboli of the lung, liver, spleen and kidney may be found.
Giannitti F, Barr BC, Brito BP, Uzal FA, Villanueva M, Anderson M. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections in goats and other animals diagnosed at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System: 1990-2012. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2014; 26: 88-95.
Akabane virus, Aino virus, Schmallenberg virus
Viruses of the Orthobunyaviridae spread by the biting Culicoides insects. The lesions in goats are similar to those in sheep (see failure of pregnancy in sheep).
The macroscopic lesions in in 2 aborted goat kids included arthrogryposis, vertebral abnormalities, pulmonary hypoplasia and porencephaly.
Histologically, one of the two goats had perivascular cuffing with lymphocytes and macrophages. They had diffuse astrogliosis and microgliosis. Cerebellar hypoplasia was manifest by a reduction in the molecular layer.
Herder V, Wohlsein P, Peters M, Hansmann F, Baumgärtner W. (2012) Salient lesions in domestic ruminants infected with the emerging so-called Schmallenberg virus in Germany. Vet Pathol 2012; 49: 588-591.
Caprine herpesvirus type 1 (CpHV-1)
Gonzalez et al (2017) reported on an 'outbreak' of herpesvirus abortion in goats in Spain. They examied 3 fetuses and placentae of 80 of the 1050 (7.6%) goats that abort. None had macroscopic lesions but they did have histological typical multifocal necrosis of liver, kidneys and lungs of herpesvirus disease in fetuses.
van Engelen E, Luttikholt S, Peperkamp K, Vellema P, Van den Brom R (2014) Small ruminant abortions in The Netherlands during lambing season 2012–2013. Vet Rec 2014; 174: 506-507
Gonzalez J, Passantino G, Esnal A, Cuesta N, García Vera JA, Mechelli L, Saez A, García Marín JF, Tempesta M. Abortion in goats by Caprine alphaherpesvirus 1 in Spain. Reprod Domest Anim. 2017 Dec;52(6):1093-1096.
Giannitti F, Barr BC, Brito BP, Uzal FA, Villanueva M, Anderson M. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections in goats and other animals diagnosed at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System: 1990-2012. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2014; 26: 88-95.