Pregnancy loss in small ruminants

Abstract

Pregnancy loss in sheep and goats is an important cause of economic loss to livestock producers. Causes of pregnancy loss are
noninfectious and infectious. Noninfectious causes include toxic plants and toxins, nutritional deficiencies, medications, and
environmental factors. Infectious causes are more commonly diagnosed than noninfectious causes and include bacterial, mycotic,
viral, and parasitic infections. Several of the infectious causes of pregnancy loss in small ruminants are transmissible to humans, either
directly or indirectly, and pose substantial threats to public health. Identification of the cause of pregnancy loss is of prime importance
to implement control programs to reduce economic impact and the risk of human infection. Veterinary diagnostic laboratories help
in identifying, preventing, and controlling pregnancy loss. Additionally, laboratory testing is an important part of any surveillance
program, in identifying transboundary animal diseases and in testing livestock and their specimens for export purposes.