The objective of this study was to assess the association between clinical
mastitis and abortion during early gestation in lactating dairy cows. Durin
g the study period, there were 2087 cows diagnosed pregnant, 60 cases of cl
inical mastitis, and 127 cases of abortion. Logistic regression was used to
evaluate the association between the occurrence of mastitis and subsequent
abortion. This study found that cows that had clinical mastitis during the
first 45 d of gestation were at 2.7 (95% confidence interval = 1.3 to 5.6)
times higher risk of abortion within the next 90 d than were cows without
mastitis. Cows with a calving to conception interval >174 d were at lower r
isk (43%) of abortion compared with cows with a calving to conception inter
val <79 d (odds ratio = 0.6; 95% confidence interval = 0.3 to 0.9). Concept
ion on a breeding detected by secondary signs of estrus was also significan
tly associated with increased risk of abortion (odds ratio = 1.7; 95% confi
dence interval = 1.1 to 2.8). No significant association was found between
parity, breeding season, or milk production or use of prostaglandin F-2 to
induce successful estrus and subsequent abortion.