Abortion in Ewes associated with Salmonella abotusovis

1. Salmonella Abortusovis
Abortion in Ewes Associated with Salmonella abortusovis.
Muhammad Saad Saeed

2. Salmonella Abortusovis
 Gram –ve bacteria
 Rod shaped
 Aerobic bacteria
 Enterobacteriaceae (Family)
Host specific = Sheep

3. Transmission
 Through infected animal (act as reservoir)
 Remain Asymptomatic Carrier for up to 6 months
 Discharge pathogen through feces and vaginal discharge
from 4th month of infection
 Vaginal discharges are highly infectious during the first
week after an abortion

4. Transmission
 Sheep can be infected by:
 ingestion
 Conjunctiva
 respiratory tract
 genital tract.
 Oral route is major path of transmission

5. Pathogenesis
 Sheep ingest pathogen
 Goes to intestine
 Cause transient bacteremia (without systematic signs)
 Localization in Placenta
 Plancentitis
 Abortion

6. Pathogenesis
 Foal become infected in utero or soon after birth by
ingestion from contaminated teat surface or through
umbilicus

8. Incubation Period
 Ewes infected experimentally at one month of gestation
aborted after a 2-month incubation period
 While animals inoculated during the third month aborted
after an average of 20 days.

9. Zoonotic potential
 Unlike other Salmonella species, S. Abortusovis does not
seem to be a significant threat to human health.
 Human infections with this species appear to be very rare.

10. Clinical Signs
 Abortion occurs primarily during the last 4-6 weeks of
gestation (major clinical sign)
 Lambs may also be stillborn or die of septicemia within a
few hours of birth
 Lamb mortality due to weakness, hypothermia,
hypoglycemia
 Ewe rarely develop clinical signs

11. Post Mortem Lesions
 Aborted fetus and placenta are usually fresh
 Placenta may have nonspecific changes including:
 Edema
 Hemorrhages in the chorioallantois, and
 Necrosis or swelling of the cotyledons.

12. Post Mortem Lesions
 Fetal tissues:
 Multifocal Suppurative Inflammation
 Necrosis
 Edema or hemorrhages
 Swollen liver and spleen

13. Diagnosis
 Bacteria isolate:
 Fetus, placental or uterine discharge
 Apply: PCR or serological tests
 SAT, Hemagglutination inhibition, ELISA, Indirect
Immunofluorence etc.

14. Differential Diagnosis
 Brucellosis
 Listeriosis
 Q – Fever
 Toxoplasmosis
 Campylobacteriosis

15. Treatment
 Broad spectrum antibiotic:
 Chloramphenicol, Trimethoprim and Sulfadiazine
combination

16. Control & Prevention
 Isolate infected/ suspected animals
 Proper Dispose of aborted fetus and placenta
 Disinfect stall and fomites