Comparisons of Polymerase Chain Reaction and Isolation in Cell Culture and Embryonated Hen’s Eggs for the Detection of Chlamydophila abortus in Aborted Ovine/Caprine Placenta

S. A. Soomro, R. D. Murray, Z. Woldehiwet and N. M. Soomro

Abstract

Enzootic abortion in ewes (EAE) is routinely diagnosed by the detection of elementary bodies of Chlamydophila abortus in placental smears stained with modified Ziehl-Neelsen’s (MZN) stain. The C. abortus can also be isolated from infected material in McCoy cells or embryonated eggs. Currently, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is increasingly being used for the detection and differentiation of Chlamydia spp. and Chlamydophila spp. In the present study, placental samples from 65 aborting sheep and 2 aborting goats were used to compare the sensitivity and specificity of PCR using primers specific for the putative helicase, omp2, and pmp genes and for the 16S - 23S rRNA interspacer genes with bacterial isolation in cell cultures or embryonated eggs and detection of elementary bodies in impression smears stained with MZN. However, all the above mentioned strain specific primers have been used for detection of Chlamydophila abortus. We compared the diagnostic sensitivity of these primers and observed that primers specific to putative helicase gene and 16S-23S interspacer gene could be used for detection of Chlamydophila abortus from field samples of aborted ovine/caprine placenta. This study work is of significant importance for molecular epidemiology of Chlamydophila abortus in ovine and caprine population.

Key Words: Enzootic abortion in ewes, Chlamdydophila abortus, diagnosis, ovine, placenta, polymerase chain reaction