Chlamydia pecorum

Abstract

Chlamydial abortion in small ruminants is usually associated with Chlamydia abortus infection. Although Chlamydia pecorum has been detected in aborted ruminants and epidemiological data suggests that C. pecorum is abortigenic in these species, published descriptions of lesions in fetuses are lacking. This work describes fetoplacental lesions in a caprine abortion with C. pecorum infection, and further supports the abortigenic role of C. pecorum in ruminants. A 16-month-old Boer goat aborted twin fetuses at ~130 days of gestation. Both fetuses (A and B) and the placenta of fetus A were submitted for postmortem examination and diagnostic workup. At autopsy, the fetuses had moderate anasarca, intermuscular edema in the hindquarters (A), and brachygnathia and palatoschisis (B). In the placenta, the cotyledons were covered by yellow fibrinosuppurative exudate that extended into the adjacent intercotyledonary areas. Histologically, there was severe suppurative and necrotizing placentitis with vasculitis (arteriolitis) and thrombosis, multifocal lymphohistiocytic and neutrophilic hepatitis (A), and fibrinosuppurative enteritis in both fetuses. Chlamydia antigen was detected in the placenta by the direct fluorescent antibody test and in fetal intestines by immunohistochemistry. Nested polymerase chain reaction of DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of placenta and intestine amplified 400 bp of the Chlamydia 16S rRNA gene that was sequenced and found to be 99% identical to C. pecorum by BLAST analysis. Other known abortigenic infectious agents were ruled out by specific testing. It is concluded that C. pecorum infection is associated with fetoplacental lesions and sporadic abortion in goats.

New and emerging chlamydial infections of creatures great and small

“…The veterinary pathogen C. pecorum is linked to a range of diseases in cattle, sheep, pigs and goats, including polyarthritis, encephalomyelitis and conjunctivitis [20]. Rare cases of C. pecorum –associated abortion in ruminants have also been reported [21]. While this pathogen has been long recognized as a major threat to the survival of Australia's iconic native marsupial, the koala [22], recent molecular and serologic studies have shown other wildlife globally may harbour strains of this pathogen.…”

First report of caprine abortions due to Chlamydia abortus in Argentina

“…The mentioned study confirmed the presence of C. abortus in La Pampa Province, not far from Mendoza Province, the location of the present case. Sporadic abortions in goats from Uruguay were associated with C. pecorum (Giannitti et al 2016). However, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports of ovine or caprine enzootic abortion associated with C. abortus in Argentina.…”

“…© 2019 The Authors Veterinary Medicine and Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Veterinary Medicine and Science (2019), 5, pp. 162-167reported in Uruguay(Giannitti et al 2016), Chile (OIE 2012 and Argentina (this report). Humans are at highest risk during and immediately after abortion or parturition as large numbers of this organism are released to the environment with the fetal fluids(Seth-Smith et al 2017).…”

“…Samples of liver, thymus, spleen, lung, complete brain and placenta were collected and fixed by immersion in 10%, buffered formalin, pH 7.2 and processed routinely for the production of 4 lm thick paraffin sections that were stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Selected sections of placenta were also processed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for Toxoplasma gondii, Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydia spp., as previously described (Dilbeck & McElwain 1994;Giannitti et al 2016). Briefly, antigen retrieval was performed in a decloaking chamber, followed by the quenching of endogenous peroxidase with 3% hydrogen peroxide.…”

“…Uruguay and Chile, recently confirmed the presence of abortion induced by Chlamydia sp. in goats (OIE 2012;Giannitti et al 2016).…”