Prevalence of Chlamydia abortus in goats with abortion problems in central Sinaloa, Mexico

Abstract

A cross-sectional study that included seven bucks and 132 goats with recent parturition or abortion was conducted to assess the prevalence of chlamydiosis in a caprine herd showing abortion issues in Central Sinaloa, Mexico. Additionally, 32 out of the 135 goats were selected to perform a longitudinal study throughout two consecutive periods of kidding/abortions. Chlamydia abortus was detected by bacterial isolation and the positive samples were confirmed by PCR. In does, chlamydiosis prevalence was 55.6 % (75/135; 69 parturitions and six abortions). Ten out of 75 positive isolations were confirmed by PCR. In bucks, two out of seven samples tested positive for bacterial isolation. In the longitudinal study, the likelihood of showing a positive result increased 41.6 times (OR=0.024, 95 % CI: 0.002 to 0.299) during the second period of evaluation. According to multivariate analysis, chlamydiosis positivity, lower age of goats, and a reduced number of parturitions were associated. The results presented herein represent the first report of C. abortus in a caprine herd in the state of Sinaloa. More studies focused on the prevalence and distribution of C. abortus in Mexico are needed to improve the knowledge regarding the impact of chlamydiosis on animal health and production.