Table 4.
Standard and additional samples to collect from aborted and stillborn foetuses* for the investigation of infectious, nutritional and genetic causes of death
| For investigation of | Standard samples | Ancillary samples | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failure of passive transfer of immunoglobulins | Perinate blood | NA** | Only test calves > 24 h old, e.g. ZSTT |
| Foetopathogenic bacteria and fungi (e.g. Aspergillus spp., B. licheniformis, L. monocytogenes, T. pyogenes, S. Dublin) | Foetal stomach contents (FSC), Placenta |
Foetal lung, liver, gall bladder, kidney, brain, eyelid. Dam vaginal swab, placentome, blood. |
Ancillary samples where FSC/placenta unavailable/contaminated. |
| Neospora caninum | Foetal brain, serum |
Foetal heart. Placenta. Dam/cohort bloods |
Fresh brain/placenta for PCR, fixed brain or heart/placenta for histopathology if PCR positive |
| Leptospira Hardjo | Foetal kidney, serum | Dam/cohort bloods | Foetal sample dependent upon laboratory tests |
| BVDv | Foetal ear, spleen, thymus, serum | Foetal kidney. Dam/cohort bloods | Foetal sample dependent upon laboratory tests |
| BHV-I | Foetal liver, serum. | Foetal kidney. Placenta. Dam/cohort bloods | Foetal PCR/histopathology preferred tests |
| Micronutrient deficiencies | Foetal thyroid, liver, heart, rib | Foetal kidney. Dam/cohort bloods | Thyroid for iodine assay/histopath; liver/kidney for selenium assay, heart for histopath; bone for manganese assay |
| Gross lesions (e.g. foetal pneumonia) | Affected foetal organ | As required | As appropriate (e.g. bacteriology, histopath) |
| Genetic congenital defect | Foetal muscle, skin | Dam hair follicles | Test for infectious teratogens also (e.g. BVDv, SBV) |
*Standard and ancillary testing protocols are dependent upon local laboratory SOPs. Bacteriology/mycology (culture, stains, wet preparations) and serology are generally routine tests for sporadic cases while other tests (e.g. histopathology, PCR, FAT, IHC, micronutrient, DNA assay) can be added for multiple losses or at the discretion of the pathologist. Maternal vaccinal status affects use and choice of serology tests, ** NA - not applicable