Morpho-pathological studies of the reproductive tract of farm animals following rift valley fever infection

RVF is an infectious zoonotic viral disease affecting most farm animals. The histopathological changes in thereproductive tract following infection, abortion or death of the foetus were studied.Artificial infection was induced in three sexually mature non-pregn~~t and eight pregnant ewes. The possibilityof contact infection was also tested in three animals leftwith the infected groups. After two days post-infection(DPI) the typical symptoms of RVF infection were observed. The abortion occurred in 62.5% of pregnant ewes betweenthe 4th and the 19th DPI. Some animals (37.5%) did not~ort and the foeti of the two animals were found dead with some signs of maceration, while resorption of thefoetus took place in the third. Samples from the reproduc- tive tracts of the non-pregnant ewes were collected on3rd, 17th and 45~h DPI. Uterine tissue, pant s of the foetal membranes and placentomes were collected f’r-om the non- aborted ewes on the 3rd, 9th and 52th DPI, and on 5th, 14th, 211£, 241h and 60th DPI from the aborted ewes.fue other organs of the adult ewes were collected at the