The First Evaluation of Chlamydia abortus Infestation in the Iranian Dromedary Camel Population

Abstract

Chlamydiosis is an important disease in sheep, camel, goats, cats, birds, and cattle, which is caused by different species of the genus Chlamydia. Chlamydiosis of ruminants is a zoonosis and is especially worrying for pregnant women in contact with animal shelters. Chlamydiosis in camels can cause abortion, cervical adhesion, ovarian hydrobursitis, and reproductive failure in male camels. Chlamydia in camels can remain asymptomatic for a long time. Infected camels may play an important role in the transmission of Chlamydia to other animal species. Chlamydiaceae family members are currently placed in one genus and seven species. Among these seven species, Chlamydia abortus is of special importance in camels. It is possible to detect and distinguish chlamydial species by PCR and specific primers. The present study is the first study of Chlamydia abortus in the Iranian dromedary camel, which is very important. A total of 100 blood samples with anti-coagulant were taken from apparently healthy male and female camels in the south of Kerman province. Next, DNA was extracted from each blood sample using a blood DNA extraction kit according to the manufacturer's instructions. PCR was performed using rOMP90_3 specific primer to evaluate the presence of Chlamydia abortus. None of the samples were positive for Chlamydia abortus. According to the results, it can be said that Chlamydia abortus is probably not common in camels in the south of Kerman province of Iran.

Keywords

• chlamydia abortus
• pcr
• camel
• iran