Hallazgos anatomopatológicos en fetos y neonatos bovinos del nordeste argentino

Abstract

Necropsy and microscopic examination was performed on 26 fetuses of spontaneous abortions and 13 bovine neonates. The 53.8% of fetuses showed inflammatory lesions, 38.4% revealed no macro or microscopic lesions, and 11.5% had non-inflammatory lesions (liver fatty degeneration and omphalo-thoracopagus). In neonates the main lesions were congenital malformations (cheiloschisis, palatoschisis, meningoencephalocele and hydrocephalus), omphalophlebitis and dystocia. The study found that most aborted fetuses (53.8%) had inflammatory lesions consistent with infectious agents and the causes of neonatal mortality were congenital abnormalities, omphalitis and dystocia, the latter two being related to the lack of human assistance during calving and assistance to the calf in the first days of life.