Clinical association between uterine edema and bacterial endometritis in Colombian Creole mares

Abstract

Bacterial endometritis in mares is one of the main problems in equine reproduction. Generally, the antibiotic treatments fail due to the inadequate diagnostics, which increase the cases of infertility in females. The present study was carried out with 89 mares with clinical and reproductive signs of endometritis that was diagnosed through clinical reproductive examination, ultrasound and bacterial culture (performed using the swab technique). Each mare was subjected to a linear transrectal ultrasound (Ecografo esaote mylab 30, linear probe 7.5 MHz) in which the body of the uterus, right horn, left horn and ovaries were evaluated; those mares with clinical signs compatible with endometritis, were evaluated using the swab technique. The sample was taken in several different points of the endometrium including the body and horns of the uterus; the results for each of the variables were analyzed by descriptive statistics; In case of the qualitative variables, Chi square independence tests (χ²) were performed. According to the results, a greater bacterial isolation was found in mares that presented the third grade edema, being E. coli the most frequent since it was isolated in 35 of the 89 mares