Neosporosis-like abortions in a herd of dairy cattle.
Twenty-nine cows from a 240-cow drylot Holstein dairy in north-central New Mexico aborted over a period of approximately 5 months. Nine aborted fetuses were necropsied, and all but 1 of the fetuses were between 5 and 7 months of gestation. Microscopic examination of fetal tissues revealed focal necrotizing encephalitis and nonsuppurative myocarditis in 7 of the 9 fetuses. Additional lesions observed in some fetuses were focal hepatic necrosis, nonsuppurative myositis, focal necrotizing placentitis, focal nonsuppurative pneumonia, and focal nonsuppurative nephritis. A few groups of Neospora caninum-like protozoan organisms were observed adjacent to necrotic foci in the brain of 2 fetuses and in the kidney of a third fetus. No other cause of abortion was detected.
Thilsted
J P
JP
New Mexico Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Diagnostic Services, Albuquerque 87106.
Dubey
J P
JP
D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005333:Fetus / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology / Q000469:parasitology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal