Summary
This observational study investigated the prevalence and consequences of micronutrient deficiencies in sheep and goat flocks experiencing elevated abortion rates across multiple cities in East Azerbaijan Province, northwest Iran. Blood and foetal tissue samples collected between November 2023 and February 2024 were analysed for selenium, copper, and vitamin A status, with findings indicating widespread deficiencies across herds managed under semi-intensive systems. The authors report associations between maternal micronutrient insufficiency and both reproductive failure and pathological lesions in foetal cardiac and neural tissues, contributing field-based evidence from a region where such data are limited.
UK applicability
The study is conducted in Iran under semi-intensive grazing conditions distinct from typical UK sheep and goat management, but the core findings on selenium and copper deficiency as risk factors for abortion and foetal developmental pathology are directly relevant to UK small ruminant practice, where trace element deficiency in breeding ewes is a recognised and monitored concern.
Key measures
Serum selenium, copper, and vitamin A concentrations (µg/L or µmol/L); abortion rates; foetal organ pathology scores; herd size categories; sample counts (373 maternal blood samples; 62 aborted foetus samples)
Outcomes reported
The study measured serum and tissue concentrations of key vitamins and minerals (including selenium, copper, and vitamin A) in ewes, does, and aborted foetuses, assessing associations between nutritional deficiencies and reproductive failure. It also examined pathological changes in foetal organs potentially attributable to micronutrient deficiency.
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