Congenital jaundice in bovine aborted foetuses: an emerging syndrome in southern Belgium

Abstract

Southern Belgium faces an unusual recent increase of icteric bovine aborted foetuses. In the necropsy room, the majority of foetuses presented jaundice and splenomegaly. Despite a wide range of analyses, no definitive cause of abortion has yet been established but some analysis results support the leptospirosis hypothesis. This first description of cases will help veterinary practitioners to recognize more cases and to conduct those to the laboratory for future investigations.

Keywords: Belgium; bovine; emerging syndrome; icteric abortion; leptospirosis.