First Report of<i> Chlamydia abortus</i> in Farmed Fur Animals

Abstract

<i>Chlamydia (C.) abortus</i>, a globally distributed obligate intracellular bacterium, has attracted increasing interest according to its veterinary importance and zoonotic nature. <i>C. abortus</i> can infect a variety of animals and cause foetal loss in livestock resulting in economic loss. In this study, the samples collected from two farms of foxes (n=20), raccoon dogs (n=15) and minks (n=20), were investigated by <i>Chlamydiaceae</i>- and <i>Chlamydia</i> species-specific real-time PCR. The results showed that all the tested foxes (20/20) and raccoon dogs (15/15) harbored <i>Chlamydia</i> spp., while 5% of minks (1/20) were positive for <i>Chlamydia</i> spp. <i>C. abortus</i> was identified in all positive samples as the dominant <i>Chlamydia</i> species, with <i>C. pecorum</i> DNA coexistence in some of the rectal samples (7/20) taken from foxes. Phylogenetic analysis based on specific gene fragments of 16S rRNA, IGS-23S rRNA, and <i>ompA</i> revealed that all sequences obtained in this study were assigned to the <i>Chlamydiaceae</i> family with high similarity to <i>C. abortus</i> S26/3 and B577 previously identified in ruminants. This is the first report confirming that farmed foxes, raccoon dogs, and minks carry <i>C. abortus</i>. Further studies are needed to fully elucidate the epidemiology and pathogenicity of this pathogen in farmed fur animals as well as the potential risks to public health.