title: Emergent causes of placentitis and abortion.
abstract: The clinical signs, laboratory findings, diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention and control of two emerging causes of placentitis and abortion in horses are described in this article. Leptospirosis has been reported as a significant cause of fetal loss in horses in Kentucky, Northern Ireland, and England. Most abortions result from infection by serovars kennewicki or bratislava. Nocardioform placentitis has become the most common cause of placentitis in central Kentucky horses. Nocardioform placentitis is associated with infection by unnamed, gram-positive, filamentous, branching bacteria, and is characterized by distinctive changes in the placental membranes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000192:Actinomycetales / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000193:Actinomycetales Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000662:veterinary; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006736:Horses; D007249:Inflammation / Q000662:veterinary; D007919:Leptospira / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D010922:Placenta Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D011247:Pregnancy