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. 2023 Nov 18;13(22):3561.
doi: 10.3390/ani13223561.

Reproduction and Productivity in Dairy Cattle after Abortions Both Related and Unrelated to Coxiella burnetii

Guna Ringa-Ošleja  1 , Vita Antāne  1 , Ivars Lūsis  1 , Lelde Grantiņa-Ieviņa  2 , Žanete Šteingolde  2 , Artjoms Mališevs  2 , Aivars Bērziņš  1   2
Affiliations

Reproduction and Productivity in Dairy Cattle after Abortions Both Related and Unrelated to Coxiella burnetii

Guna Ringa-Ošleja et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

C. burnetii is a widespread pathogen, causing abortions and reproductive disorders in ruminants. The study aimed to evaluate animal reproductive capacity and productivity after abortion, related and unrelated to C. burnetii. We compared data about the abortion time, the outcome of the animals after an abortion, further reproduction, and productivity for C. burnetii-positive (n = 148) and C. burnetii-negative (n = 149) aborted dairy cows and heifers. C. burnetii-positive animals had a positive serological response or presence of C. burnetii DNA at the time of abortion. C. burnetii-positive animals had a significantly higher number of lactations at the time of abortion. However, in the other indicators, we observed no significant differences between the groups. Comparing indicators of all the aborted animals, we found that if animals started a new lactation after abortion, they had a significantly lower milk yield, lower fat, protein, and somatic cell counts (SCCs) in milk during the standard lactation for both primiparous and multiparous cows compared to herd averages in each group. Lower SCCs can be due to animals with a high SCC being culled earlier. We found an economic disadvantage to aborting, not only because of the loss of offspring, but also because of the high culling rate and lower productivity in both primiparous and multiparous cows.

Keywords: C. burnetii; abortion; dairy cattle; productivity; reproduction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of aborted animals by number of lactations (heifers, 1st lactation, 2 and higher lactations). The y-axis indicates the percentage of C. burnetii-positive (black column) and C. burnetii-negative (light-gray column) aborted animals.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Duration of pregnancy (months) at the time of abortion (1st trimester (0–3 months), 2nd trimester (4–6 months), and 3rd trimester (7–9 months). The y-axis indicates the percentage of C. burnetii-positive (black column) and C. burnetii-negative (light-gray column) aborted animals.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Possible outcomes in animals after abortion (culled after abortion, the same lactation, new lactation). The y-axis indicates the percentage of C. burnetii-positive (black column) and C. burnetii-negative (light-gray column) aborted animals.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The onset of a new pregnancy during the same or new lactation (new pregnancy and offspring in the same lactation, new pregnancy and offspring in the new lactation). The y-axis indicates the percentage of C. burnetii-positive (black column) and C. burnetii-negative (light-gray column) aborted animals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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