%0 Journal Article
%T Investigation of Chlamydophila spp. in dairy cows with reproductive disorders
%A Ann-Charlotte Godin
%A Camilla Bj£¿rkman
%A Stina Englund
%A Karl-Erik Johansson
%A Rauni Niskanen
%A Stefan Alenius
%J Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
%D 2008
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1751-0147-50-39
%X To detect antibodies two commercially available kits were used. Moreover, 107 specimens, including vaginal swabs, organ tissues and milk were analysed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).Two (0.4%) cows were seropositive in the Pourquier Cp. abortus ELISA. The seroprevalence with the Chekit ELISA was 28% with no difference between cases and controls. Five specimens were positive in real-time PCR and further analysed by nested PCR. Cp. pecorum was confirmed by partial omp1 DNA sequencing of the nested PCR product of vaginal swabs from control cows.The results suggest that Cp. abortus infection is absent or rare in Swedish cows whereas Cp. pecorum is probably more spread. They also suggest that Chlamydophila spp. are not related to reproduction disorders in Swedish cattle.Chlamydia are obligate, intracellular, gram-negative bacteria that cause a wide range of diseases in humans, other mammals and birds. The two species Chlamydophila (Cp.) abortus (formerly Chlamydia (C.) psittaci serotype 1) and Cp. pecorum (formerly C. pecorum) are known to infect ruminants [1]. It has also been reported that Cp. psittaci may infect cattle [2-4]. In many sheep-producing countries Cp. abortus is known to cause Ovine Enzootic Abortion (OEA) [5]. The zoonotic potential of Cp. abortus is well known and poses a threat to mainly pregnant women, handling sheep and goats [6]. Chlamydial infection in cattle has been associated with reproductive disorders including abortion, endometritis, repeat breeding, vaginitis, seminal vesiculitis, weak calves and perinatal mortality [7-11]. Moreover, symptoms such as pneumonia, conjunctivitis, enteritis, polyarthritis and encephalitis have been reported [12-14]. It has been suggested that both Cp. abortus and Cp. pecorum are ubiquitous in cattle [10,15,16].Reproductive disorders and infertility are major causes of culling in dairy herds. The diagnostic rate of abortions is usually below 35% [17,18]. In Sweden, 97% of all dairy herds are free of Bovine vir
%U http://www.actavetscand.com/content/50/1/39