Archive Case #128: Ovine Enzootic Abortion

Clinical Clues

1. Several pregnant ewes abort within a short period late in gestation.
2. Many affected ewes seemed well until the final weeks before lambing.
3. Some surviving lambs are weak at birth.
4. Placental membranes from one abortion are thickened and discolored.
5. The pattern suggests a contagious abortion storm in sheep.
6. Chlamydia abortus infection causes ovine enzootic abortion.

Diagnosis

Ovine Enzootic Abortion

This case is most consistent with Ovine Enzootic Abortion because the flock has late-gestation abortions with placental lesions and contagious spread. The most important clues are the timing in pregnancy and abortion storm pattern, which make a single toxic insult less likely.

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.