Seroconversion in Romanian Small Ruminant Populations Exposed at Chlamydophila Abortus and the Risk to Public Health

Abstract

Chlamydophila abortus is an important pathogen of small ruminants, causing reproductive failure manifested through abortion during the last 2-3 weeks of gestation, stillbirth, or delivery of weak lambs or kids, and orchitis and seminal vesiculitis in males. Also, C. abortus is a zoonotic bacteria, involved in influenza-like illness, pneumonia and abortions sometimes with severe complications in humans. The aim of this article is to evaluate the immunological status to C. abortus of Romanian small ruminant populations, geographically isolated, whose spontaneous uncontrolled contact is excluded. This paper is also assessing the risk of humans exposure to contaminated animals and food. The immunological status of the investigatet small ruminants was evaluated using an ELISA commercial kit and the results were analysed in correlation with the history of vaccination and type of animal breeding (traditional/professional farms). According to these results, the exposure of C. abortus is still to consider in traditional breeding farms, but in professional herds the serological tools are useless to uncover the circulation of wild strains, once the immunoprofilactic programs has been implemented. The public health risk relate to the close contact with the infected sheep and goats, common event in the traditional breeding.