Khordadmehr Monireh, Sadri Hassan, Shirazi Jafar, Babazadeh Saeed, Akbari Hamid, Jigari-Asl Farinaz, Hamali Hossein, Ghorani Mohammadreza
Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
Abortion Research Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
Vet Med Sci. 2025 May;11(3):e70308. doi: 10.1002/vms3.70308.
Abortion emerges as a primary concern for small ruminant breeders, leading to substantial economic losses for livestock farmers. The most important factor contributing to abortion in sheep and goats is the presence of infectious agents. The bluetongue virus (BTV), border disease virus (BDV), peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), Akabane virus (AKAV) and pox virus are notable viruses responsible for inducing abortion in small ruminants globally.
This study focused on the prevalence of viral agents in aborted foetuses and adult sheep and goats with a recent abortion history in East Azerbaijan province, Northwest Iran. For this purpose, a comprehensive evaluation was performed in the nine cities of East Azerbaijan province, Iran. A total of 62 aborted foetuses and 373 blood samples were collected from 43 sheep and goat flocks. The conventional and nested PCR methods were employed for BTV, BDV, PPRV, pox virus and AKAV detection after extracting viral DNA/RNA and cDNA synthesis from the buffy coat (adults) and foetal spleen tissue samples. The formalin-fixed tissue samples from the aborted foetuses were examined histopathologically.
Molecular findings revealed that viral infection was present in 7.77% (29 out of 373) of the blood samples and 35.48% (22 out of 62) of the aborted foetuses. Among the blood samples, 1.34%, 2.41% and 4.29% were positive for BTV, BDV and PPR, respectively. No pox virus or AKAV samples tested positive in the adults. In the samples from aborted foetuses, the positivity rates were 12.90%, 25.80%, 9.67%, 1.61% and 0% for BTV, BDV, PPRV, pox virus and AKAV, respectively. Histopathological studies revealed extensive inflammatory reactions associated with severe hyperaemia and haemorrhagic lesions in the tissue sections, particularly in the brain, heart, intestine and spleen, which were more notable in the PCR-positive samples for BTV.
In conclusion, the detection of viral agents in both aborted foetuses and blood samples indicates that viral infections play notable roles in the abortion of sheep and goats in East Azerbaijan. Therefore, effective management and vaccination strategies are crucial for preventing and controlling the disease in this region.
流产已成为小型反刍动物养殖者的主要担忧问题，给家畜养殖户造成了巨大的经济损失。导致绵羊和山羊流产的最重要因素是感染因子的存在。蓝舌病病毒（BTV）、边界病病毒（BDV）、小反刍兽疫病毒（PPRV）、赤羽病病毒（AKAV）和痘病毒是全球范围内导致小型反刍动物流产的重要病毒。
本研究聚焦于伊朗西北部东阿塞拜疆省流产胎儿以及近期有流产史的成年绵羊和山羊中病毒病原体的流行情况。为此，在伊朗东阿塞拜疆省的9个城市进行了全面评估。从43个绵羊和山羊群中总共采集了62个流产胎儿和373份血液样本。在从血沉棕黄层（成年动物）和胎儿脾脏组织样本中提取病毒DNA/RNA并进行cDNA合成后，采用常规PCR和巢式PCR方法检测BTV、BDV、PPRV、痘病毒和AKAV。对流产胎儿的福尔马林固定组织样本进行组织病理学检查。
分子检测结果显示，血液样本中有7.77%（373份中的29份）以及流产胎儿中有35.48%（62份中的22份）存在病毒感染。在血液样本中，BTV、BDV和PPR的阳性率分别为1.34%、2.41%和4.29%。成年动物中未检测到痘病毒或AKAV样本呈阳性。在流产胎儿样本中，BTV、BDV、PPRV、痘病毒和AKAV的阳性率分别为12.90%、25.80%、9.67%、1.61%和0%。组织病理学研究显示，组织切片中存在广泛的炎症反应，伴有严重的充血和出血性病变，尤其是在脑、心脏、肠道和脾脏中，在BTV PCR阳性样本中更为明显。
总之，在流产胎儿和血液样本中均检测到病毒病原体，这表明病毒感染在东阿塞拜疆绵羊和山羊流产中起着显著作用。因此，有效的管理和疫苗接种策略对于该地区疾病的预防和控制至关重要。
