Serological screening for Coxiella burnetii infection and related reproductive performance in high producing dairy cows.

Abstract

The possible relationship between Coxiella-seropositivity and the reproductive performance of cows during the previous year to the serological screening was examined in three high producing dairy herds. The herds had a history of subfertility (<25% of pregnancies for the total number of AI), abortion (>18% abortions) and a positive polymerase chain reaction test for Coxiella burnetii in the bulk tank milk with an excretion higher than 10(4)Coxiella /ml for all three herds. Antibodies against C. burnetii were detected in 50.2% of the 781 parous cows analyzed. Coxiella seropositivity was linked to placenta retention, to changes in the interval from parturition to conception (with the lowest interval parturition-conception for cows with low level of seropositivity), early pregnancy (cows becoming pregnant before Day 90 postpartum) and maintenance of gestation during the early fetal period, while it failed to affect rates of abortion after Day 90 of gestation or stillbirth.