Introduction
Bovine abortion is widely recognized as a cause of significant economic losses in dairy cattle worldwide (Knudtson & Kirkbride, 1992; Thurmondet al. 1990). Even though non-infectious factors may cause reproductive failure, abortigenic infectious agents are likely to cause more epidemiologically dynamic forms of abortion in dairy cattle (Kavehet al. 2017; Knudtson & Kirkbride, 1992). Universally recognized abortigenic bacterial pathogens of cattle include but are not limited toBrucella abortus (Okumu et al. 2019; Shabbir et al. 2011),Coxiella burnetii (Bildfell et al. 2000; Cabassi et al. 2006), Campylobacter foetus (Michi et al. 2016),Leptospir a spp (Delooz et al. 2018) and Listeria monocytogenes (Yağcı-Yücel et al. 2014). In addition, a few abortigenic protozoans like Neospora caninum (Okumu et al.2019; Shabbir et al. 2011; Yildiz et al. 2017),Trichomonas foetus (Michi et al. 2016), Toxoplasma gondii (Pagmadulam et al. 2018), and Sarcocystis spp (Rassouli et al. 2014) have also been reported. Similarly, a number of abortigenic viruses like bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV) (Aslan et al. 2015; Asmare et al. 2018) and bovine herpesvirus-1 (Chastant-Maillard, 2015) have also been reported. Periodically, a number of abortigenic vectorborne viruses like Rift Valley fever virus (Ali et al. 2012), bluetongue virus (Aliet al. 2012; Nusinovici et al. 2012), and Akabane virus (Kirkland, 2015) have been reported particularly in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Finally yet importantly, a number of abortigenic fungal pathogens including but not limited toAspergillus sp and Mortierella wolfii have also been reported (McCausland et al. 1987).
Despite anecdotal reports on incidents of abortion problems at a number of dairy farms in the UAE, there is complete absence of country-specific peer-reviewed literature on bovine abortion. Such paucity of UAE-specific literature is a hindrance to development of evidence-based methods for the control and management of reproductive failure in dairy cattle herds in the country. The broader aim of the present pilot study was to collect baseline data on the serostatus of selected abortigenic pathogens of dairy cattle in the Al Ain region, UAE. Specific study objectives were to determine the serostatus of C. burnetti ,B. abortus , L. Hardjo , N. caninum , and BVDV in an intensively managed dairy cattle herd from the periurban dairy production system of Al Ain region, UAE. The study also evaluated the association between the C. burnetii- seropositivity and history of abortion.