Agent Of Abortion Research Articles

Isolation of Arcobacter species and other neglected opportunistic agents from aborted bovine and caprine fetuses

BackgroundInfectious abortion in ruminants is a problem in animal husbandry worldwide. It is important to obtain a diagnosis, to make sure that proper control measures can be instituted, but most abortion cases remain without an etiologic diagnosis. This report describes the presence of Arcobacter species and several neglected opportunistic abortifacient agents in ruminant abortion cases showing or not co-infections among at least one of the major recognized protozoal, fungal, bacterial and viral abortifacient agents.ResultsA total of 67 fetuses (55 cattle and 12 goats) and just one placenta (cattle) were considered. Among the most common abortive agents, Neospora caninum (19,4%), followed by Chlamydophila abortus (4,5%), Listeria monocytogenes 1/2a (2,98%), Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus type 1b (2,98%), Bovine herpesvirus 4 (2,98%), and Aspergillus spp. (2,98%) were detected. The isolated neglected opportunistic bacteria include Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus suis, Trueperella pyogenes, Mannheimia haemolytica, Bacillus cereus and Nocardia spp. Other bacterial species, not associated with abortion by literature, but described as causes of diseases occurring sporadically both in humans and animals, were also detected. Three Arcobacter strains, namely two A. skirrowii and one A. cryaerophilus, were isolated from 3 bovine aborted fetuses, and A. butzleri was isolated from the placenta.ConclusionsA not negligible isolation of Arcobacter species and other neglected abortifacient agents has to be mentioned, with prevalences that seem to be emerging and replacing or co-placing the major infectious players in bovine and caprine reproductive failure due to abortion disease, even if further studies investigating the aetiological power and transmission routes are needed in order to define the role of these microrganisms in ruminant abortion.

Detection the Role of Coxiella burnetii in Abortion of Women in the Thi - Qar Province-Iraq.

Coxiella burnetii bacteria, an obligate intracellular with a worldwide geographical distribution, are the causative agent of Q fever in humans. In this study a total of 40 serum samples collected from aborted women in Bent Al Huda hospital in southern of Iraq. By enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) targeting immunoglobulin G antibody (IgG) of this bacterium in serum samples. The C. burnetii diagnosed in 8 (20 %) in clinical samples and 6 (15%) samples were equivocal to IgG antibody. And the frequent diagnose of immunoglobulin association of the pathogen with cases of spontaneous abortion. These first studies on this bacterium which remain not diagnose as causative agents of abortion and that the prevalence in Iraq is non-studied. The present study demonstrated the high prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in aborted woman. Therefore, Q fever could be responsible for considerable numbers of woman abortions in Iraq.

Seroprevalence of Q fever in cattle, sheep and goats in the Volta region of Ghana.

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, a causative agent of abortion in livestock and febrile illness in humans. Outbreaks of human cases of Q fever have been reported in Australia and the Netherlands, which was linked to abortions in goat and sheep farms. In Ghana, information on Q fever in both livestock and humans is scanty. This study sought to determine the seroprevalence of Q fever in livestock in the Tongu area of the Volta region of Ghana. It was a cross sectional study with blood sampled from 204 cattle, 158 sheep and 100 goats. An indirect ELISA test was performed to detect Q fever antibodies in the serum of livestock. A total of 20 farms were sampled across the municipalities and an overall prevalence of Q fever was 21.6%. Specie‐specific prevalence was 28.4% (45/158) for sheep, 21.7% (45/204) for cattle and 10% (10/100) for goats. Abortions were reported on all the farms sampled and most farmers lived in close proximity to the farms sampled. Q fever is prevalent in the North Tongu area and requires the attention of the veterinary and health authorities, using the One‐ Health approach in order to control its occurrence and save lives.

Using lamb sales data to investigate associations between implementation of disease preventive practices and sheep flock performance

Although the UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe, there are limited data available on sheep flock performance and on how sheep farmers manage their flocks. The aims of this study were to gather evidence on the types of disease control practices implemented in sheep flocks, and to explore husbandry factors associated with flock productivity. A questionnaire focusing on farm characteristics, general husbandry and flock health management was carried out in 648 farms located in the UK over summer 2016. Abattoir sales data (lamb sales over 12 months) was compared with the number of breeding ewes on farm to estimate flock productivity (number of lambs sold for meat per 100 ewes per farm per year). Results of a multivariable linear regression model, conducted on 615 farms with complete data, indicated that farms vaccinating ewes against abortion and clostridial agents and administering a group 4/5 anthelmintic to ewes (as recommended by the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep Initiative) during quarantining had a greater flock productivity than farms not implementing these actions (P<0.01 and 0.02, respectively). Flocks with maternal breed types had higher productivity indexes compared with flocks with either pure hill or terminal breeds (P<0.01). Farms weighing lambs during lactation had greater productivity than those not weighing (P<0.01). Importantly, these actions were associated with other disease control practices, for example, treating individual lame ewes with an antibiotic injection, weaning lambs between 13 and 15 weeks of age and carrying out faecal egg counts, suggesting that an increase in productivity may be associated with the combined effect of these factors. This study provides new evidence on the positive relationship between sheep flock performance and disease control measures and demonstrates that lamb sales data can be used as a baseline source of information on flock performance and for farm benchmarking. Further research is needed to explore additional drivers of flock performance.

Bovine Neonatal Monocytes Display Phenotypic Differences Compared With Adults After Challenge With the Infectious Abortifacient Agent Neospora caninum.

The neonatal period represents a window of susceptibility for ruminants given the abundance of infectious challenges in their environment. Maternal transfer of immunity does not occur in utero but post-parturition, however this does not compensate for potential deficits in the cellular compartment. Here we present a cellular and transcriptomic study to investigate if there is an age-related difference in the monocyte response in cattle during intra-cellular protozoan infection. We utilized Neospora caninum, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that causes abortion and negative economic impacts in cattle worldwide, to study these responses. We found neonatal animals had a significant greater percentage of CD14+ monocytes with higher CD80 cell surface expression. Adult monocytes harbored more parasites compared to neonatal monocytes; additionally greater secretion of IL-1β was observed in neonates. Microarray analysis revealed neonates have 535 genes significantly upregulated compared to adult with 23 upregulated genes. Biological pathways involved in immune response were evaluated and both age groups showed changes in the upregulation of tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT protein and JAK-STAT cascade pathways. However, the extent to which these pathways were upregulated in neonates was much greater. Our findings suggest that neonates are more resistant to cellular invasion with protozoan parasites and that the magnitude of the responses is related to significant changes in the JAK-STAT network.

In vitro activity of six antiviral drugs against equid alphaherpesvirus type 1 indicates ganciclovir as promising drug for in vivo studies

ABSTRACT: Equid alphaherpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is distributed worldwide and is a major agent of abortion, respiratory and neurological disease in horses. No specific treatment is available for EHV-1 infection, yet the potential of antiviral therapy has been explored. In this study we investigated the in vitro activity of Acyclovir, Ganciclovir, Foscarnet, Famciclovir, Vidarabina and Cidofovir against EHV-1. For this, the MTT test was performed, in which all the tested drugs showed no toxicity up to 200μg/mL. Subsequently, different drug concentrations were submitted to viral plaque reduction assays in cell culture. The selectivity index (SI) of the compounds was determined using the cytotoxic concentration for 50% of cells (CC50), obtained by MTT, and effective drug concentration to inhibit by 50% the number of viral plaques (EC50). Ganciclovir (SI: 490; EC50: 1.9 μg/mL) was the most efficient and safest drug against EHV-1, followed by Cidofovir (SI: 150, EC50: 5.7μg/mL), Acyclovir (SI: 37.4, EC50: 22.2μg/mL), Famciclovir (SI: 25.1, EC50: 24.5μg/mL), Vidarabine (SI: 12.2, EC50: 40.9μg/mL) and Foscarnet (SI: 6.9, EC50: 49.5 μg/mL), respectively. These results indicated that Ganciclovir (followed by Cidofovir), is a promising candidate for use in in vivo experiments.

Molecular characterisation of equid alphaherpesvirus 1 strains isolated from aborted fetuses in Poland

BackgroundEquid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is one of the main infectious causative agents of abortion in mares and can also be associated with stillbirth, neonatal foal death, rhinopneumonitis in young horses and a neurological disorder called equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). The neuropathogenicity of the virus was shown to be significantly higher in EHV-1 strains that carry a single nucleotide point (SNP) mutation in the ORF30, which encodes a catalytic subunit of viral DNA polymerase (ORF30 D752). Another gene, ORF68 is frequently used for phylogenetic analysis of EHV-1.Methods27 EHV-1 strains isolated from aborted equine fetuses in Poland, collected between 1993 and 2017, were subjected to PCR targeting the open reading frames (ORFs) 30 and 68 of the EHV-1 genome. PCR products obtained were sequenced and SNPs were analyzed and compared to sequences available in GenBank.ResultsNone of the analyzed sequences belonged to the ORF30 D752neuropathogenic genotype: all EHV-1 belonged to the non-neuropathogenic variant N752. On the basis of ORF68 sequences, the majority of EHV-1 sequences (76.9%) cannot be assigned to any of the known groups; only six sequences (23.1%) clustered within groups II and IV.ConclusionsEHV-1 strains obtained from abortion cases belong to the non-neuropathogenic genotype. Many EHV-1 ORF68 sequences have similar SNPs to those already described in Poland, but a clear geographical distribution was not observed. A single particular ORF68 sequence type was observed in strains isolated from 2001 onwards.

Caffeine Sodium Benzoate for Electroconvulsive Therapy Augmentation.

Because of an ongoing manufacturer shortage of injectable caffeine sodium benzoate (CSB), patients at our health system were given CSB compounded in-house to increase seizure response during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate its effectiveness and safety as an ECT augmentation agent. Medical records of patients who received compounded CSB at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System were reviewed to identify adults receiving it as part of an index ECT treatment course between June 2012 and December 2016. The primary outcome was change in electroencephalogram seizure duration from pre-caffeine session to initial caffeine session. Data were also collected on demographics, motor seizure duration, maximum heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and concurrent medication use for these sessions and the last caffeine session. Seven-one patients were included in the study, predominantly white females with a mean age of 58.6 years. The most common indication for ECT was major depressive disorder resistant to pharmacotherapy (71.8%), followed by catatonia associated with another mental disorder (19.7%). Electroencephalogram seizure duration increased by 24.1 seconds on average with first CSB use (P < 0.0001), allowing 24 more patients overall to achieve goal of at least 30 seconds (P < 0.0001). No clinically significant changes in maximum heart rate or mean arterial pressure were observed, nor did any patients require an abortive agent for prolonged seizure. Five patients (7%) discontinued CSB prematurely: 4 related to adverse effects and 1 secondary to ineffectiveness. We confirm results of prior studies of the utility of CSB and add that compounded CSB is effective for ECT augmentation, maintaining effectiveness throughout the index course with minimal safety concerns.

Distribution and Characterization of Dominant Serovars of Listeria Monocytogenes Strains Isolated from Spontaneous Human Abortion in Tehran

Background and Aims: Assessment of the extend role of dominant serotyprs of Listeria monocytogenes in spontaneous abortions, using isolation methods and PCR(Polymerase Change Reaction) analysis for the presence of dominant serotypes such as 1/2a, 4b. Materials and Methods: A total of 258 samples comprising placental bits, vaginal swabs and blood were collected from out of 123 patients with spontaneous abortion. Listeria monocytogenes was identified and confirmed by culture, biochemical, serological tests, API system, CAMP (Christie, Atkins, Munch and Petersen), hemolysis on sheep blood agar. PI-PLC (Phosphatidyl Inositol specific Phospholipase C) assay, followed by Multiplex PCR to detection of serotypes 1/2a and 4b. Result: Out of 258 samples, 28 isolates of Listeria monocytogenes were identified by different methods. All of the isolates were confirmed by PCR. Our search indicated that from 123 patients, 28 of isolated (46.6%) Listeria monocytogenes strains, 14(50%) belonged to serovar 1/2a, 10(35%) to serovar 4b and 4(14.2%) to other serovars respectively. Conclusions: Based on our study, serovars 1/2a and 4b play a key role in human spontaneous abortion. Data analysis also showed that these serovars (1/2a, 4b) are dominant serovars as causative agents of the spontaneous abortion in pregnant women.

Smooth muscle relaxant activity of Crocus sativus (saffron) and its constituents: possible mechanisms.

We praise the article by Mokhtari-Zaer et al. (2015) published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine on the effects of saffron on smooth muscle activity (Mokhtari-Zaer et al., 2015). It was a well-designed and interesting study on the therapeutic properties of Crocus sativus which is a precious plant cultivated in our country. We do believe that along with all other medicinal effects, saffron or its active constituents, primarily crocin and crocetin, could also have some clinical implications in the gynecology field. Historically and particularly in traditional Persian medicine, saffron has been regarded as an abortifacient agent (Hosseinzadeh and Nassiri-Asl, 2013; Schmidt et al., 2007). Farmer women exposed to saffron had increased rates of miscarriage (Ajam et al., 2014). This could be due to the fact that saffron stimulates uterine contractions. However, in Table 1 of the article by Mokhtari-Zaer et al. (2015), a relaxant effect of saffron on uterine contraction was mentioned (Mokhtari-Zaer et al., 2015). Concerning various components of saffron including crocin, picrocrocin, crocetin, and safranal, each could have different actions on muscular tissue. As an antispasmodic, saffron is used for stomach pain by helping digestion and improving appetite. It also reduces tension and alleviates symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and renal colic (Agha-Hosseini et al., 2008; Moshiri et al., 2006; Kashani et al., 2018). In one study, the impact of saffron on cervical ripening in term pregnant women was evaluated for the first time in the form of a clinical trial (Sadi et al., 2016). They concluded that saffron could induce cervical priming which is a perquisite for vaginal delivery by improving the bishop score. Cervical ripening caused by prostaglandins such as misoprostol or prostaglandin E1 is associated with simultaneous increase in uterine muscle contractility which is apparently in contrast with the effects of saffron as a relaxing agent (Vahdat et al., 2015). In a study by Sadraei et al, the effects of Crocus sativus extracts on uterus contractions were assessed in vitro. Following removal of the uteri of rats, spontaneous rhythmic contractions were induced using potassium chloride (KCL). According to their results, Crocus sativus increased these contractions and showed spasmodic action on muscle fibers (Sadraei et al., 2003). Likewise, in other studies, saffron had stimulatory effects on uterus as a result of myogenic and neurogenic actions resulting in prolonged bleeding, premature birth and abortion (Tafazoli et al., 2004; Modaghegh et al., 2008). This stimulatory effect of saffron on uterine musculature, however, is sometimes desirable in obstetrics to enhance the process of labor and also in gynecology for facilitating the surgical procedures on the uterus (Sadi et al., 2016; Vahdat et al., 2015). Thus, the exact mechanism of action of saffron derivatives on uterus and cervix has not been fully elucidated yet. In all the studies mentioned, the effects of the plant extract were assessed without purifying or differentiating its different elements which could have different or even opposing actions. With the availability of saffron tablets in Iran which mainly consists of crocin, with the brand name of Krocina, we believe that it would be much easier to assess the impact of this particular component of saffron on uterine or cervical tissue to clarify the exact mechanisms underlying abortion or induction of labor. In the end, we congratulate Mokhtari-Zaer et al on their article and we appreciate the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine editorial board for their judicious concern on this topic. We hope to read well-controlled randomized clinical trials regarding the beneficiary effects of saffron in future

Loss of Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity in a KCl-Induced Model of Episodic Headache Enhances CNS Drug Delivery.

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) in the CNS is suggested as a common mechanism contributing to headache. Despite strong evidence for CNS involvement in headache disorders, drug development for headache disorders remains focused on peripheral targets. Difficulty in delivering drugs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) may partially account for this disparity. It is known, however, that BBB permeability is increased during several CNS pathologies. In this study, we investigated BBB changes in response to KCl-induced CSD events and subsequent allodynia in rats. Cortical KCl injection in awake, freely moving rats produced facial allodynia with peak intensity between 1.5 and 3 h and CSD induction within 0.5–2 h postinjection. Brain perfusion of 14C-sucrose as a marker of BBB paracellular permeability revealed increased leak in the cortex, but not brainstem, beginning 0.5 h post-KCl injection and resolving within 6 h; no changes in tight junction (TJ) proteins occludin or claudin-5 expression were observed. Acute pretreatment with topiramate to inhibit CSD did not prevent the increased BBB paracellular permeability. CNS delivery of the abortive anti-migraine agent sumatriptan was increased in the cortex 1.5 h post-KCl injection. Surprisingly, sumatriptan uptake was also increased in the brainstem following CSD induction, suggesting regulation of active transport mechanisms at the BBB. Together, these results demonstrate the ability of CSD events to produce transient, time-dependent changes in BBB permeability when allodynia is present and to mediate access of clinically relevant therapeutics (i.e., sumatriptan) to the CNS.

Immunological and molecular study of Chlamydia trachomatis as causative agent of abortion in Al-Muthanna province

Chlamydiasis during pregnancy should be considered a significant risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes in humans. 120 women who had a single or repeated abortion were selected for this study, and they were referred with a physician report for TORCH tests to determine the final diagnosis of pregnancy loss. The control were (40) healthy pregnant women with a history of a normal pregnancy. The innate immunity in abortive women was higher than normal pregnancies, that was estimated by Nitroblue Tetrazolium test done to estimate the phagocytic activity, there was a significant increase (P=0.009) in phagocytic activity in the leukocytes of abortive women which was (22%) higher than that in control. Also, the cellular immune response was higher in abortive women than that in control. Methyl Thiazolyl Tetrazolium assay was performed to estimate lymphocyte transformation index of peripheral blood leukocytes in abortive women. The results of Methyl Thiazolyl Tetrazolium assay showed a significant increase (P=0.001) in the lymphocyte transformation index in the lymphocytes of abortive women which was (27%) higher than control. The serological detection by ELISA showed that anti-C. trachomatis IgG was (14.2%), and the molecular detection by Quantitive Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction showed positive results (17.5%) of total abortive women. The present study demonstrated a high level of relationship between C. trachomatis and abortion among women in the study samples. The age group (20-25years) was the most susceptible to chlamydial infection and the infection was higher in recurrent miscarriages than in single miscarriage.

Immunological and molecular study of Chlamydia trachomatis as causative agent of abortion in Al-Muthanna province

Immunological and molecular study of Chlamydia trachomatis as causative agent of abortion in Al-Muthanna province

Serological Prevalence of Abortifacient Agents in Female Mijaheem Camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Saudi Arabia

Sera from 378 female Mijaheem camels of different age groups were collected from different parts of the country. All of them were simultaneously tested serologically for specific antibodies against brucellosis, chlamydiosis and coxiellosis while 368 of the same serum samples were also tested for toxoplasmosis and neosporosis, using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The results were statistically analyzed to determine the prevalence rate of each of these abortifacient agents and the association of the geographical location and age of the animal with the prevalence. The overall serological prevalence was 16.67% for brucellosis, 49.18% for toxoplasmosis, 13.32% for neosporosis, 10.05% for chlamydiosis and 42.36% for coxiellosis. Statistical analysis revealed significant associations between the serological prevalence of each of the studied abortifacient agents with the location of the animal, and there was also a significant association with age in the case of toxoplasmosis and chlamydiosis. The results indicate that the causative agents of brucellosis, toxoplasmosis, neosporosis, chlamydiosis and coxiellosis are widespread among indigenous Mijaheem camels in Saudi Arabia, and that their prevalence varied with region and age group. These different agents should therefore be considered in the differential diagnosis of infectious abortion in Saudi Arabian camels.

Genomic evidence that the live Chlamydia abortus vaccine strain 1B is not attenuated and has the potential to cause disease

BackgroundThe live, temperature-attenuated vaccine strain 1B of Chlamydia abortus, the aetiological agent of ovine enzootic abortion (OEA), has been implicated in cases of vaccine breakdown. The aim of this study was to understand the nature of this attenuation through sequencing of the vaccine parent strain (AB7) and the derived mutant strains 1B and 1H, as well as to clarify the role of the vaccine strain in causing disease through comparative whole genome analysis. MethodsWhole genome sequencing was performed on: vaccine parent strain AB7; N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG)-induced temperature attenuated mutant strain 1B grown from the commercial live vaccines Cevac Chlamydia and Enzovax; strain 1H a reverted NTG mutant; and 5 strains isolated from cases of OEA originating from animals from the original vaccine safety trial (2 strains) or from vaccinated ewes or ewes exposed to vaccinated animals (3 strains). ResultsWe confirmed that AB7 is in a different lineage from the reference strain S26/3. The genome of vaccine strain 1B contains ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) created by the NTG treatment, which are identical to those found in strain 1H. The strains from OEA cases also cluster phylogenetically very tightly with these vaccine strains. ConclusionsThe results show that C. abortus vaccine strain 1B has an identical genome sequence to the non-attenuated “reverted mutant” strain 1H. Thus, the protection of the 1B vaccine is unlikely to be due to the NTG induced SNPs and is more likely caused by the administration of high doses of C. abortus elementary bodies that stimulate protective immunity. Vaccine-identical strains were also isolated from cases of disease, as well as strains which had acquired 1–3 SNPs, including an animal that had not been vaccinated with either of the commercial live OEA vaccines, indicating that the 1B vaccine strain may be circulating and causing disease.

A multi-screening Fast qPCR approach to the identification of abortive agents in ruminants

Abortion in ruminants represents an important economic concern for farmers. Microbial agents, such as Brucella spp., Chlamydia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Leptospira spp., Neospora caninum, Salmonella spp. and Toxoplasma gondii, are among the main infectious causes of abortion and require rapid and reliable diagnosis. This study describes the development of a multi-screening assay using Fast Real-Time PCR (Fast qPCR) that allows, in a single test, the simultaneous identification of the above-mentioned abortive agents. This multi-screening approach is characterized by a mean diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 97%, respectively; it has a limit of detection (LOD) ranging from 5 × 103 to 4 × 104 genomic copies/g of tissue and a very good concordance with traditional end-point PCR assays used in routine diagnostic activity.The proposed method represents a rapid approach to the simultaneous detection of the main abortive agents in ruminants that allows to make an accurate diagnosis and to set up appropriate control measures in a short period of time.

A Serological Survey of Four Abortifacient Infectious Agents among Small Ruminant in Egypt

A Serological Survey of Four Abortifacient Infectious Agents among Small Ruminant in Egypt

Sustained tachyarrhythmia in children younger than 1 year of age: Six year single‐center experience

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of non-operational sustained tachyarrhythmia in patients <1year of age at the present center. Between November 2010 and November 2016, the demographic characteristics, type and localization of the tachyarrhythmia, echocardiographic findings, and medical and/or ablation therapy for patients <1year of age with sustained tachyarrhythmia were evaluated. Of 99 patients, 91 had sustained supraventricular tachycardia, and eight had sustained ventricular tachycardia. The median age was 30days (range, 1-350days), and the median weight was 4.2kg (range, 2-13kg). The common symptoms were palpitation and restlessness (n = 49, 49.5%), or the tachycardia was detected during routine inspection (n = 25, 25.3%) or fetal echocardiography (n = 11, 11.1%). Nineteen individuals (19%) had left ventricular (LV) dysfunction on first echocardiography. Twenty individuals had congenital heart disease. Common diagnoses were Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (n = 27), focal atrial tachycardia (n = 10), permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia(n = 6), and atrial flutter (n = 6). Seventeen patients underwent medical therapy combined with cardioversion. The most commonly used abortive and acute therapy agents were adenosine, esmolol, and amiodarone. The most common combination therapy was propranolol and amiodarone, followed by a propranolol and propafenone combination. Nine individuals were treated with catheter ablation due to either resistance to medical therapy or LV dysfunction. Tachyarrhythmias in children <1year of age are mostly caused by accessory pathways and require multidrug therapy. Catheter ablation is an effective alternative therapy in the case of resistance to medical therapy and/or LV dysfunction.

Chlamydial abortion of ewes and goats. I. Current aspects on etiology, pathogenesis, immune mechanisms and epizootiology of disease

Chlamydial abortion constitutes one of the major causes of infectious abortion in sheep and goats. The disease leads to considerable losses in most sheep and goat-rearing countries, as well as, in Greece. In this paper, a review of the causative agent, pathogenesis, host immune response and epizootiology is presented. After recent changes, that have occured in the taxonomy of chlamydiae, it is necessary to refer to new families, new genera and new species within the order Chlamydiales, with emphasis on new species of Chlamydophila abortus, the causal agent of chlamydial abortion. This study reviews the recent experimental data which indicate the sites of entry of the organism, the way of its dissemination and establishment to the placenta. It also reviews current research on the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, the role of the IFN-γ in latent infection and this of Tcells in the protective immune response. Finally, particular reference is given on the role of the male in the disease transmission and the role of inter-species contamination in chlamydial abortion.

Detección de Chlamydia abortus en pérdidas reproductivas de bovinos en la provincia de La Pampa, Argentina

Reproductive losses linked to an infectious etiology in bovine cattle are a major economic concern worldwide. In Argentina, more than 50% of abortion cases have unknown causes. Species belonging to Chlamydiaceae family are frequent etiologic agents of abortion around the world; however, there is yet no information on their prevalence in Argentina. The objective of this work was to identify Chlamydia spp., and particularly C. abortus in reproductive losses from bovine cattle in La Pampa, Argentina. Real time PCR targeting Chlamydiaceae-specific DNA fragments was performed on 251 samples obtained from bovine abortions and stillborns, and ArrayTube was used for species identification on positive samples. Chlamydiaceae DNA was detected in 12 samples of aborted fetuses (4.78%), 83.33% (10/12) accounting for abortions and 16.66% (2/12) for stillborns. C. abortus was detected by ArrayTube in 5 cases (1.99% of all samples, and 41.67% of Chlamydiaceae positive samples). This study shows the first detection of Chlamydiaceae and C. abortus DNA on reproductive losses of bovine cattle in Argentina, and the described prevalence value (4.78%) should be taken as baseline value due to the type of samples analyzed. Detection of genetic material from Chlamydiaceae not matching any of the studied species could be due to intraspecies variants or local species not yet described. Further research on Chlamydia infections in bovine cattle in Argentina is imperative to describe their range, to analyze their economic and zoonotic implications and to make recommendations about prevention and control measures.