A Review of Infectious and Non‐Infectious Causes of Pregnancy Loss in Goats

TL;DR

This review explores why goats lose pregnancies, covering both infectious and non-infectious causes, to help improve goat health and productivity.

Contribution

The paper provides the first scoping review of pregnancy loss causes in goats, identifying knowledge gaps and future research directions.

Findings

Pregnancy loss in goats has significant economic and welfare implications.

Current literature lacks a systematic overview of causes and knowledge gaps.

Future research should focus on both infectious and non-infectious factors.

Abstract

Goats play a vital role in global agriculture, particularly in developing regions, and are increasingly kept as companion animals. Given their economic and social importance, pregnancy losses in goats represent a substantial challenge, leading to considerable economic losses and raising concerns about animal welfare and public health, as some etiological agents are zoonotic. Understanding both infectious and non‐infectious causes of pregnancy loss in goats is therefore essential for effective prevention and management. However, to date, no scoping review has systematically mapped the existing literature or identified current knowledge gaps. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the available evidence on the causes of pregnancy loss in goats and to propose directions for future research.

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