Mummified foetuses - Atlas of swine pathology

Where:

Possible causes: Aujeszky's diseaseLeptospirosisPorcine parvovirus infectionPRRSInfluenza

Mummified foetuses up to 75 days of gestation due to a porcine parvovirus infection.

This herd did not vaccinate against porcine parvovirus. The sow does not show clinical signs of illness.

Depending on the stage of gestation at which the naïve sow becomes infected, the clinical signs will vary.  If infection spreads to the uterus around the time of service, total loss of embryos can occur resulting in a normal 3-week return to service. An infection slightly later on will destroy all or some early embryos within the litter; this can produce an abnormal return to service or small litters if only some embryos are destroyed.

Late infection once foetal structure is formed leads to death of the foetuses and partial reabsorbtion, causing mummification.