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Home / Equine Research Bank / Front Vet Sci / A Diagnostic Survey of Aborted Equine Fetuses and Stillborn ...
Frontiers in veterinary science2021; 8; 740621; doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.740621

A Diagnostic Survey of Aborted Equine Fetuses and Stillborn Premature Foals in Denmark.

Abstract: Loss of pregnancy in mares can have many different causes, including both infectious and non-infectious conditions. Extrapolation of findings from other studies is often uncertain as the significance of each cause varies across regions. Causes of pregnancy loss in mares have never been thoroughly studied in Denmark, so a prospective cross-sectional cohort study targeting the entire Danish population of pregnant mares was performed over a period of 13 months to obtain knowledge of the significance of individual causes. Fifty aborted or prematurely delivered stillborn fetuses were submitted for necropsy and examined by a panel of diagnostic laboratory methods. Overall, a cause of fetal loss was established for 72% of the examined cases. Most cases (62%) were lost due to a non-infectious cause, of which obstruction of the feto-placental blood circulation due to severe torsion of the umbilical cord was most prevalent. Pregnancy loss due to a variety of opportunistic bacteria, including bacteria not previously associated with abortion in mares, accounted for 12%, while equid alphaherpesvirus (EHV) type 1 was the cause of pregnancy loss in 8% of the cases. EHV type 4 and species were identified in some cases, but not regarded as the cause of fetal loss. Umbilical cord torsion was found to be the most prevalent cause of fetal loss in Danish mares, while infectious causes such as EHV type 1 and streptococci only accounted for a minor proportion of the losses. The study highlights the need for defined criteria for establishing an abortion diagnosis in mares, particularly in relation to EHV types 1 and 4.
Copyright © 2021 Agerholm, Klas, Damborg, Borel, Pedersen and Christoffersen.
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Publication Date: 2021-11-10 PubMed ID: 34859085PubMed Central: PMC8631530DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.740621Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

This Danish research study explores causes of pregnancy loss in horses, diagnosing reasons for 72% of cases from a 13-month investigation period. It found that obstruction of blood circulation due to severe umbilical cord torsion was the most common cause, while infectious causes such as EHV type 1 and bacterial infections were less common.

Research Background and Goals

  • The research was driven by the lack of comprehensive studies in Denmark examining causes of pregnancy loss in mares.
  • The purpose was to obtain a clear understanding of the individual causes for pregnancy loss in mares across Denmark.

Methodology

  • This was a cross-sectional cohort study conducted over 13 months, involving the entire population of pregnant mares across Denmark.
  • The research team examined 50 aborted or prematurely delivered stillborn fetuses using a variety of diagnostic laboratory methods.

Findings

  • A cause for fetal loss was identified for 72% of the examined cases.
  • The majority of losses (62%) were due to non-infectious causes, the most prevalent of which was severe umbilical cord torsion obstructing blood flow between the fetus and the placenta.
  • Infectious causes accounted for a smaller proportion of losses. Of these, varied types of opportunistic bacteria were to blame for 12% of miscarriages, with some types of bacteria being newly associated with equine abortion.
  • Equid alphaherpesvirus type 1 (EHV type 1) was implicated in 8% of losses. EHV type 4 and Streptococcus bacteria were present in some cases but were not considered the primary cause of fetal demise.

Conclusion

  • Severe umbilical cord torsion causing obstruction of blood circulation was deemed the prime cause of pregnancy loss in mares across Denmark, rather than infectious causes like EHV type 1 and streptococci.
  • This discovery emphasises the need for robust criteria to diagnose abortion in mares, especially relating to EHV types 1 and 4.

Cite This Article

APA
Agerholm JS, Klas EM, Damborg P, Borel N, Pedersen HG, Christoffersen M. (2021). A Diagnostic Survey of Aborted Equine Fetuses and Stillborn Premature Foals in Denmark. Front Vet Sci, 8, 740621. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.740621

Publication

Frontiers in veterinary science
ISSN: 2297-1769
NlmUniqueID: 101666658
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 8
Pages: 740621
PII: 740621

Researcher Affiliations

Agerholm, Jørgen Steen
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Høje Taastrup, Denmark.
Klas, Eva-Maria
  • Department of Molecular Biology, LABOKLIN GmbH & Co. KG, Bad Kissingen, Germany.
Damborg, Peter
  • Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Borel, Nicole
  • Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty University Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Pedersen, Hanne Gervi
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Høje Taastrup, Denmark.
Christoffersen, Mette
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Høje Taastrup, Denmark.

Conflict of Interest Statement

E-MK is employed by Laboklin GmbH & Co., which is a company offering diagnostic tests. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Ricard RM, Burton J, Chow-Lockerbie B, Wobeser B. Detection of Chlamydia abortus in aborted chorioallantoises of horses from Western Canada.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2023 Jul;35(4):359-365.
    doi: 10.1177/10406387231171844pubmed: 37129380google scholar: lookup
  2. Cantón GJ, Navarro MA, Asin J, Chu P, Henderson EE, Mete A, Uzal FA. Equine abortion and stillbirth in California: a review of 1,774 cases received at a diagnostic laboratory, 1990-2022.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2023 Mar;35(2):153-162.
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