Abortion Storms in Dromedary Camels: Causes, Pathogenesis, Risks, Diagnosis, and Control

Abortion storms are a significant reproductive and economic challenge for dromedary camels, especially in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. They are characterized by an abrupt increase in pregnancy losses within a short period of time. The camel’s seasonal breeding pattern, which restricts opportunities for rebreeding within the same reproductive season, amplifies their impact. Abortion storms are multifactorial phenomena that arise from intricate relationships between infectious agents, host susceptibility, environmental factors, and management techniques. Bacterial pathogens like Brucella spp., Chlamydia abortus, and Coxiella burnetii, as well as protozoal infections like Trypanosoma evansi and Toxoplasma gondii are thought to be the main infectious causes. However, viral, fungal, nutritional, environmental, and management-related factors may also play a role. This narrative review addresses the biological mechanisms underlying herd-level outbreaks and summarizes the current understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, and risk factors related to abortion storms in dromedary camels. Relevant literature was identified through structured searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, supplemented by Google Scholar and reference-list screening, covering published evidence on abortion and abortion storms in dromedary camels. It offers helpful advice for field research, clinical assessment, sample collection, laboratory diagnosis, outbreak response, and long-term prevention in addition to addressing current diagnostic issues. In order to lessen the frequency and effects of abortion storms in camel populations, standardized diagnostic procedures, enhanced surveillance systems, and integrated herd health strategies are highlighted as key knowledge gaps and future research priorities.