Reported equine abortions in Central Kentucky are down for the third week in a row and overall abortions for 2003 are drawing even with the 2002 numbers. According to figures from the University of Kentucky’s Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center on Tuesday, 20 fetuses were brought to the lab in week nine of this year. Last year, during the same week, 33 fetuses were turned in for research. Last week’s figure, 17, was far below the same figure of 31 for 2002. Week 7 of this year represented the first drop in abortions. That week 25 fetuses were recorded, versus 28 for the same period in 2002.

To date, the diagnostic lab has recorded 258 abortions this year versus 254 at the same point in 2002