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.