High seroprevalence of bovine herpesvirus-1 and Brucella abortus in yak populations of Arunachal Pradesh, India, correlates with abortion

Abstract

Animals with history of abortion were positively correlated with IBR, brucellosis or both. Out of 328 animals tested, 32.92% were seropositive for Brucella, 30.49% were positive for BHV-1 and 15.85% were positive for both pathogens. Based on retrospective data, 102 yaks could be traced as having a history of aborting on at least one occasion in the past. Cases of abortion were highest (25.76%) in the third lactation as well as third trimester (39.39%). This has further proved the etiological factors of abortion in yak population are mainly infectious in origin and out of which brucellosis (61.29%) was the prominent factor followed by IBR (41.94%). Abortion in yak due to infectious etiological factor causes significant economic loss includes abortion, loss of milk production, low fertility rate and cost of replacement of animals. Well-kept records on clinical and serological findings will often be of benefit during the investigation of abortion problems.