Which disease is most commonly associated with abortions in livestock?

Which disease is most commonly associated with abortions in livestock?

• A. Yersinia pestis
• B. Brucella spp
• C. Coxiella burnetii
• D. Bacillus anthracis

Answer: (B)

Brucella species are classic agents that cause abortions in livestock. They preferentially infect the reproductive tract, leading to placentitis and abortion, often in late pregnancy, and can spread between animals through contact with contaminated birth material. This reproductive-targeting pattern makes Brucella the most strongly associated cause of abortion in livestock among the listed pathogens. The others have different typical presentations: Yersinia pestis causes plague, Bacillus anthracis causes acute anthrax, and Coxiella burnetii can cause abortions too but is more widely recognized for causing disease in humans (Q fever) and is less routinely linked to livestock abortion than Brucella.

Brucella species are classic agents that cause abortions in livestock. They preferentially infect the reproductive tract, leading to placentitis and abortion, often in late pregnancy, and can spread between animals through contact with contaminated birth material. This reproductive-targeting pattern makes Brucella the most strongly associated cause of abortion in livestock among the listed pathogens. The others have different typical presentations: Yersinia pestis causes plague, Bacillus anthracis causes acute anthrax, and Coxiella burnetii can cause abortions too but is more widely recognized for causing disease in humans (Q fever) and is less routinely linked to livestock abortion than Brucella.