Technical note
Abortion in ewes associated with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

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Abstract

We describe the features of an outbreak of ovine abortions caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in a flock of sheep in Greece. Abortion occurred in 3.5% of ewes in the flock; the foetuses were well developed and had congested lungs and sero-haemorrhagic fluid in the thoracic cavity; pinpoint, necrotic-like lesions were recorded on the placental cotyledons, whilst the inter-cotyledonary areas appeared normal. The same findings were also recorded in the foetus and the foetal membranes of a pregnant ewe that died and was necropsied; on the foetal membranes of that animal, bright yellow-coloured amniotic plaques were also seen. Lameness was recorded in 3% of the ewes in the flock; oedema of the periarticular tissues and sparse synovial fluid in the infected joints were evident in a ewe that died and was necropsied. Long-standing lameness was recorded in two fattening pigs, reared in the farm. E. rhusiopathiae was isolated in pure culture and heavy growth from joints of the pigs, joints, lungs, liver, foetuses and placentae of the ewe that died, aborted foetuses and placentae from the ewes that aborted, synovial fluid from the lame ewes. The identity of the organism was confirmed by means of conventional bacteriological techniques and the API-system. Specific tests for other common causes of ovine abortion were carried out, but no evidence of involvement of other agents was found. On the basis of all the evidence available, a diagnosis of erysipelas was made. Penicillin was given to all ewes in the flock and sanitation measures were applied to control the disease.

Introduction

Traditionally, Brucella melitensis, Chlamydophila abortus and Toxoplasma gondii are considered to be the major causative agents of ovine foetopathies worldwide. Of secondary importance, are Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella abortus-ovis and the Border disease virus; these six pathogens account for around 80% of the cases of abortion in ewes (Menzies and Miller, 1997, Aitken, 2000, Buxton, 2000, Nettleton, 2000, West et al., 2002, Baird and Gonzalez, 2003, Burriel et al., 2004).

Recently however, many reports in the international literature have described other pathogens as causative agents of ovine abortion. In New Zealand, Salmonella bradenburg was isolated from aborting ewes (Marchant et al., 2001); Rousset et al. (2001) in France identified Coxiella burnetii as a causal agent of abortions; Erganis et al. (2002) in Turkey diagnosed abortions in ewes associated with Campylobacter foetus subsp. foetus; Sargison et al. (2001) in Scotland described ovine abortion associated with Escherichia coli; Hassig et al. (2003) in Switzerland described abortion in ewes associated with Neospora caninum. In this paper, we describe an outbreak of ovine abortions in Greece associated with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae are described.

Section snippets

History

The outbreak occurred on a sheep farm with 170 mixed-age Karagouniko-breed ewes in central Greece. Rams had been introduced into the flock from 1 August to 15 September 2001. Throughout pregnancy, the ewes grazed and received supplementary hay and commercial concentrate feed. In early December, when the outbreak occurred, the body-condition scores of the ewes ranged from 2.0 to 3.0, by using the standard 1–5 scoring system (Menzies, 1997). The standards of environmental hygiene and care of the

Discussion

E. rhusiopathiae is a well-established causal agent of reproductive problems (including abortions) in sows (Henry and Kelly, 1979, Hoffmann and Bilkei, 2002); it had also been associated with abortions in women (Anusz, 1986) and guinea pigs (Okewole et al., 1989). However, Erysipelotrix-associated abortion in sheep, to the authors’ knowledge, has never been reported.

In sheep, this organism has been mainly associated with arthritis: post-dipping lameness in adult sheep (Lamont, 1979, Watkins,

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