Tadesse et al.

gestation. The second case is more difficult to explain. Most of the previous

studies have one common observation that fetal mummification in cattle is always

associated with persistence of the corpus luteum, concomitant with indefinite

retention of the fetal mummy in a sterile uterine environment. However, Hafez and

Hafez (2000) reported abortions in fetuses which had become mummified at early

stages of gestation. The present case, therefore, appears to be one where fetal death

occurred at about 3 months pregnancy, following which the fetus was retained in

the uterus for sometime. During this period of fetal retention, the fetal fluids would

have been reabsorbed and the uterine wall tightly surrounded the fetus and the

membranes. This probably was followed by luteal regression, cervical dilatation

and expulsion of the small sized mummy in to the vagina. Following the expulsion

of the mummy into the vagina, the cervix would have gone through secondary

closure to be completely closed at the time of removal of the fetus.

In the light of the present findings (i.e.) recording two cases in HF crosses within

the space of a few months in the same population is on the one hand alarming.

It is quite possible that some other cases where early abortions are taking place,

may be treated as routine and not being reported. Thus these cases could remain

undiagnosed. More important is the fact that the semen of the bull carrying the

gene is still being used. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the bull in question

and to discard the semen already collected. The occurrence of mummified twins

could be explained by the fact that they were identical, monozygotic, twins

carried in the same set of fetal membranes. Therefore, after the inter-placental

haemorrhage both suffered the same fate. Deaton et al. (1958) observed that the

cause of mummification could be a “Sex Linked Gene”, rather than an autosomal

recessive lethal gene, as all the affected fetuses are males. The mummified twins

in the present investigations also were males.

The retention of such females in the herd for future breeding is debatable, unless

they are high producing animals. However, if retained, care needs to be exercised

to not use the semen of the same male again.

Conclusion

A rare case of mummified twins is reported in a 5 year old HF x local crossbred

cow, in her first lactation. The twins were delivered by a lower-left ventro-lateral

caesearotomy and the animal made an uneventful recovery. The second case

resulted into an early abortion of the single mummified fetus at about 3 months

of gestation. Although many different, possible, causes may be involved; it is

difficult to pin point the exact aetiological agent. Factor XI gene deficiency, an

autosomal recessive gene deficiency, has recently been reported. Retention of such

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Theriogenology Insight: 5(1): 25-32. April, 2015