Seroprevalence of Chlamydia abortus in cattle and its association with abortion

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 2, 135 - 139, 31.08.2025

Gökçenur Sanioğlu Gölen

https://doi.org/10.31797/vetbio.1694298

Abstract

Chlamydia abortus (C. abortus) is a Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium causing enzootic abortions, especially in small ruminants. Due to its zoonotic potential, it is an important pathogen that threatens reproductive health in both animals and humans. It has been reported that C. abortus can cause abortion, stillbirth and underweight offspring in ruminants and can cause infection in cattle; however, epidemiological data on this subject are limited. This study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of C. abortus infection in cattle and to evaluate the relationship between infection and abortion cases. A total of 200 cattle blood samples (100 aborted and 100 healthy) collected from Central Anatolia were analysed by the ELISA method. According to ELISA results, 13% of aborted cows and 2% of healthy cows were seropositive, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The total seropositivity rate was determined as 7.5%, and the antibody level was found to be mild or moderate in most of the positive samples. The findings indicate that C. abortus can cause infection in cattle and may be the causative agent in some abortion cases. The mostly subclinical course of the infection makes diagnosis difficult and poses a hidden threat to herd health. Therefore, identifying infected animals by serological screening is important for controlling the disease. In addition, due to its zoonotic effects, C. abortus should be carefully monitored in terms of both veterinary public health and human health.

Keywords

Abortion , Cattle , Chlamydia abortus , One health

References

• Al-Magsoosi, H. H. E., Nasear, H. A., & Majeed Abbas, I. (2022). Serological investigation of bovine Chlamydia abortus in Wasit Province, Iraq. Archives of Razi Institute, 77(6), 2371-2377. https://doi.org/10.22092/ARI.2022.358620.2270
• Aras, Z., Sayın, Z., & Sanioğlu Gölen, G. (2017). Investigation of the presence of Chlamydophila abortus in cattle abortions by PCR. Eurasian Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 33(2), 77-80. https://doi.org/10.15312/EurasianJVetSci.2017.140
• Dur E Najaf, H., Asif, S., Umer, T., Ashraf, U., Qamar, M. H., Adil, M. T., Mushtaq T., Nawaz H., Jamil H., Umer, H. (2023). Campylobacteriosis: A one health perspective on abortion and zoonosis. Zoonosis, 4, 392-406. https://doi.org/10.47278/book.zoon/2023.164
• Ganta, R. R. (2022). Chlamydiaceae: Chlamydia. In D. S. McVey, M. Kennedy, M. M. Chengappa, & R. Wilkes (Eds.), Veterinary microbiology (pp. 360–363). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119650836
• Gökçe, H., Kaçar, C., Genç, O., & Sözmen, M. (2007). Seroprevalence of Chlamydophila abortus in aborting ewes and dairy cattle in the north-east part of Turkey. Bulletin of the Veterinary Institute in Pulawy, 51(1), 9-13.
• Hireche, S., Agabou, A., & Bounab, B. E. K. (2022). Chlamydia abortus in dairy cattle: Serostatus and risk factors in Algerian northeastern high plateaus. Veterinaria, 71(1), 61-71. https://doi.org/10.51607/22331360.2022.71.1.61
• Karagül, M. S., Malal, M. E., & Akar, K. (2019). Investigation of Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydia abortus antibodies in sheep in Düzce region. Düzce Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, 9(3), 106-109. https://doi.org/10.33631/duzcesbed.562838
• Koç Akpınar, R., Kılıçoğlu, Y., Şahin, B., Çenesiz, S., Kadı, H., & Çitil, M. (2024). Molecular detection of Chlamydia abortus and investigation of oxidative stress parameters in sheep foetuses in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. Comparative Clinical Pathology, 33(1), 47-54. https:// 10.1007/s00580-023-03520-y
• Li, J., Guo, W., Kaltenboeck, B., Sachse, K., Yang, Y., Lu, G., Zha J., Luan L., You J., Huang K., Wang Y., Qiu H., Wang Y., Li M., Yang Z., Wang, C. (2016). Chlamydia pecorum is the endemic intestinal species in cattle while C. gallinacea, C. psittaci and C. pneumoniae associate with sporadic systemic infection. Veterinary Microbiology, 193, 93-99. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2016.08.008.
• Maji, C., Mandal, K. D., & Biswas, S. (2025). Infectious abortive diseases: Chlamydiosis. In T. Rana (Ed.), Elements of reproduction and reproductive diseases of goats (pp. 265–278). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394190089.ch23
• Malal, M., Karagül, M., & Akar, K. (2020). Serological investigation of ovine chlamydiosis in small ruminants in Western Turkey. Acta Veterinaria Brno, 89(3), 255-260. https://doi.org/10.2754/avb202089030255
• Marti, H., & Jelocnik, M. (2022). Animal Chlamydiae: A concern for human and veterinary medicine. Pathogens, 11(3), 364. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11030364
• Marzok, M., Hereba, A. M., Kandeel, M., & Selim, A. (2023). Serosurvey and associated risk factors for Chlamydia abortus infection in cattle from Egypt. Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 96, 101972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cimid.2023.101972
• Orjuela, A. G., Castañeda, L. J. R., Tobón, J. C., Arango, J. L. P., & Guzmán-Barragán, B. (2022). Seroprevalence of antibodies to Chlamydia abortus and risk factors in cattle from Villavicencio, Colombia. Heliyon, 8(5), e09481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09481
• Turin, L., Surini, S., Wheelhouse, N., & Rocchi, M. S. (2022). Recent advances and public health implications for environmental exposure to Chlamydia abortus: from enzootic to zoonotic disease. Veterinary Research, 53(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-022-01052-x
• Varshney, J. P., & Chaudhary, P. S. (2022). Doppler ultrasonography. In J. P. Varshney (Eds.), Fully illustrated ultrasound in veterinary medicine fundamentals and applications (pp. 47-50). Nipa.
• Wawrzyk, C. M., Sokal, J., Andrzejewska, W., & Przewratil, P. (2015). The role of ultrasound imaging of callus formation in the treatment of long bone fractures in children. Polish Journal of Radiology, 17(80), 473-478. https://doi.org/10.12659/PJR.894548
• Wielicka, M., Nubauer-Geryk, J., Kozera, G., & Bieniaszewski, L. (2020). Clinical application of pulsatility index. Medical Research Journal, 5(3), 201-210. https://doi.org/10.5603/MRJ.a2020.0016
• Wilson, K., Sammin, D., Harmeyer, S., Nath, M., Livingstone, M., & Longbottom, D. (2012). Seroprevalence of chlamydial infection in cattle in Ireland. The Veterinary Journal, 193(2), 583-585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.12.018
• Ye, D., Li, Y., Yan, K., & Peng, W. (2024). A case study of severe pneumonia caused by mixed infection of Chlamydia abortus and influenza A in a female patient. Infection and Drug Resistance, 17, 3561-3567. https://doi.org/10.2147/IDR.S469837
• Yin, L., Schautteet, K., Kalmar, I. D., Bertels, G., Van Driessche, E., Czaplicki, G., Borel N., Longbottom, D., Frétin, D., Dispas, M., Vanrompay, D. (2014). Prevalence of Chlamydia abortus in Belgian ruminants. Vlaams Diergeneeskundig Tijdschrift, 83, 164-170. https://doi.org/10.21825/vdt.v83i4.16642
• Yildirir, M., Koncagül, S., Öner, Y. & Akin, A. O. (2023). Analysis for prioritizing risk status and sustainable utilization of cattle, sheep, and goat breeds in Türkiye. Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, 47(1), 1-9.