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The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne2022; 63(7); 715-721;

A 13-year retrospective study of equine abortions in Canada.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify the most common causes of equine abortion in Canada, and to compare findings to similar reports from other countries. Equine. Necropsy reports from 901 equine abortion cases were acquired from provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratories across Canada. The final diagnosis was classified into basic abortion causes (infectious, non-infectious, unknown) and into primary and secondary categories for analysis. Non-infectious causes of abortion were the most frequently identified in Canada, with fetoplacental causes, including umbilical cord torsion or placental insufficiency, being the most common primary diagnosis category. and were the bacterial species most often identified as causing infectious abortions, whereas equine herpesvirus-1 was implicated in all viral abortions identified. The high rate of non-infectious causes of abortion was similar to previous studies conducted in the United Kingdom. This finding was somewhat dissimilar to the USA, which had higher rates of infectious abortions, despite Canada's geographic proximity to the USA. The reason for variations among countries in equine abortion causes is unknown. The large number of fetoplacental-related abortions identified in this study emphasized the need for submission of both the fetus and placenta, if possible, to increase the probability of a diagnosis. In addition, the high rate of unidentified diagnoses suggests a need for further study into both non-infectious and infectious causes of equine abortion, including potential development of new diagnostic tests or markers. Le but de cette étude était d’identifier les causes les plus courantes d’avortement chez les équidés au Canada et de comparer les résultats à des rapports similaires provenant d’autres pays. Chevaux. Les rapports de nécropsie de 901 cas d’avortements équins ont été obtenus auprès de laboratoires provinciaux de diagnostic vétérinaire à travers le Canada. Le diagnostic final a été classé en causes d’avortement de base (infectieuses, non infectieuses, inconnues) et en catégories primaires et secondaires pour analyse. Les causes non-infectieuses d’avortement étaient les plus fréquemment identifiées au Canada, les causes foetoplacentaires, y compris la torsion du cordon ombilical ou l’insuffisance placentaire, étant la catégorie de diagnostic principal la plus courante. Les espèces bactériennes des genres et étaient les plus souvent identifiées comme étant à l’origine d’avortements infectieux, alors que l’herpèsvirus équin-1 était impliqué dans tous les avortements viraux identifiés. Le taux élevé de causes non-infectieuses d’avortement était similaire aux études précédentes menées au Royaume-Uni. Cette observation était quelque peu différente de celles des États-Unis, qui avaient des taux plus élevés d’avortements infectieux, malgré la proximité géographique du Canada avec les États-Unis. La raison des variations entre les pays dans les causes d’avortement équin est inconnue. Le grand nombre d’avortements liés aux causes foetoplacentaires identifiés dans cette étude a souligné la nécessité de soumettre à la fois le foetus et le placenta, si possible, pour augmenter la probabilité d’un diagnostic. En outre, le taux élevé de diagnostics non identifiés suggère la nécessité d’une étude plus approfondie des causes non-infectieuses et infectieuses de l’avortement équin, y compris le développement potentiel de nouveaux tests de diagnostic ou marqueurs.(Traduit par D Serge Messier).
Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
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Publication Date: 2022-07-06 PubMed ID: 35784776PubMed Central: PMC9207963
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The paper is a study examining the primary causes of equine (horse) abortions in Canada by reviewing 901 cases over 13 years, comparing them with international data and recommending an increased submission of fetoplacental samples and further studies for cause identification.

Main Objective

  • The primary objective of this research was to determine the most common causes of equine abortion within Canada. The researchers did this by reviewing necropsy reports from 901 abortion cases gathered from different veterinary diagnostic labs throughout Canada.

Methodology

  • The researchers broadly categorized the causes of abortions into infectious, non-infectious and unknown reasons. They also grouped the causes into primary and secondary categories for more detailed analysis.

Key Findings

  • The study concluded that non-infectious reasons, such as umbilical cord torsion or placental insufficiency, were the most frequent causes of equine abortions in Canada.
  • Among infectious causes of abortion, bacterial species, and , were frequently identified. The equine herpesvirus-1 was associated with all identified viral abortions.
  • The rate of non-infectious abortions in Canada was found to be similar to the United Kingdom, which contrasts with the trend in the United States where infectious abortion rates are higher. The reason for this variation between countries remains unknown.

Implications and Recommendations

  • The research emphasized the importance of submitting both the foetus and the placenta during testing to increase the chances of arriving at a definitive diagnosis.
  • The study also highlighted the high rate of unidentified diagnoses, pointing to the necessity for more research into the infectious and non-infectious causes of equine abortions. This future research may include the development of new diagnostic tests or markers to help increase diagnosis accuracy.

Cite This Article

APA
Ricard RM, St-Jean G, Duizer G, Atwal H, Wobeser BK. (2022). A 13-year retrospective study of equine abortions in Canada. Can Vet J, 63(7), 715-721.

Publication

The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
ISSN: 0008-5286
NlmUniqueID: 0004653
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 63
Issue: 7
Pages: 715-721

Researcher Affiliations

Ricard, R Madison
  • Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4 (Ricard, Wobeser); Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 2M2 (St-Jean); Veterinary Diagnostic Services, Manitoba Agriculture, 545 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5S6 (Duizer); Animal Health Center, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, 1767 Angus Campbell Road, Abbotsford, British Columbia V3G 2M3 (Atwal).
St-Jean, Guillaume
  • Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4 (Ricard, Wobeser); Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 2M2 (St-Jean); Veterinary Diagnostic Services, Manitoba Agriculture, 545 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5S6 (Duizer); Animal Health Center, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, 1767 Angus Campbell Road, Abbotsford, British Columbia V3G 2M3 (Atwal).
Duizer, Glen
  • Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4 (Ricard, Wobeser); Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 2M2 (St-Jean); Veterinary Diagnostic Services, Manitoba Agriculture, 545 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5S6 (Duizer); Animal Health Center, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, 1767 Angus Campbell Road, Abbotsford, British Columbia V3G 2M3 (Atwal).
Atwal, Harveen
  • Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4 (Ricard, Wobeser); Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 2M2 (St-Jean); Veterinary Diagnostic Services, Manitoba Agriculture, 545 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5S6 (Duizer); Animal Health Center, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, 1767 Angus Campbell Road, Abbotsford, British Columbia V3G 2M3 (Atwal).
Wobeser, Bruce K
  • Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4 (Ricard, Wobeser); Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 2M2 (St-Jean); Veterinary Diagnostic Services, Manitoba Agriculture, 545 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5S6 (Duizer); Animal Health Center, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, 1767 Angus Campbell Road, Abbotsford, British Columbia V3G 2M3 (Atwal).

MeSH Terms

  • Abortion, Veterinary / epidemiology
  • Animals
  • Canada / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horses
  • Placenta / microbiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Retrospective Studies

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Scoggin KE, Rakha SI, Abdellatif AM, Adlan F, Helmy YA, Ruby R, Ball B, Boakari Y, Ali HE. Activation of the S100A8/A9 Alarmin Amplifies Inflammatory Pathways in Equine Ascending Placentitis. Int J Mol Sci 2026 Feb 4;27(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ijms27031550pubmed: 41683969google scholar: lookup
  2. Li L, Li S, Ma H, Akhtar MF, Tan Y, Wang T, Liu W, Khan A, Khan MZ, Wang C. An Overview of Infectious and Non-Infectious Causes of Pregnancy Losses in Equine. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jul 2;14(13).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14131961pubmed: 38998073google scholar: lookup
  3. Ricard RM, St-Jean G, Atwal HK, Wobeser BK. A retrospective study of equine perinatal loss in Canada (2007 to 2020). Can Vet J 2023 Oct;64(10):933-940.
    pubmed: 37780478
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