SEROPREVALNCE OF INFECTIOUS CAUSES OF ABORTION IN SOWS

The objective of the present study was to investigate the seroprevalence of potential agents among aborted sows in a commercial swine farm in Serbia. Infectious agents may be specific and non-specific pathogens. Specific viruses, bacteria and protozoa, which come to the fetus through the blood or through the vaginal opening. Non-specific pathogenic, mainly bacteria, causing the systemic infection and they can cause a miscarriage and the death of the fetus of action in the uterus (endometritis) or direct cytolytic effect on the fetus. Almost all the fertility parameters in sows (reproductive and productive) may be affected by different infectious diseases. Changes in reproductive parameters may also occur without the appearance of appreciable pathological findings or with clinical signs often overlapping or similar to different diseases or pathogens. Since the reproductive efficiency is one of the main factors in the pig production, the activity should be focused on reducing the abortion, particularly in farm with intensive way of keeping the
pigs where the occurence of abortion should be reduced to sporadic cases. All the clinical aspects and the pathological findings should be taken into account to address a tentative diagnosis with the support of laboratory findings. Regular serological monitoring is the basis of health care of pigs, and therefore the control and prevention of reproductive disorders.