Chlamydia/Chlamydophila genus

Test code: B0111 - Ultrasensitive qualitative detection but not differentiation of known Chlamydia/Chlamydophila species by real time PCR.

(See test code B0003 for specific detection of C. pneumoniae)

Chlamydiosis is caused by ubiquitous, obligate intracellular gram-negative bacteria of a single genus, Chlamydia (also known as Chlamydophila) which includes nine species: abortus, caviae, felis, muridarum, pecorum, pneumoniae, psittaci, suis, and trachomatis.

These bacteria can cause respiratory disease, eye infections, and abortions in animals and sometimes humans. Many animals that have these bacteria do not show any signs of illness. Humans can be infected from animal exposure. Pregnant goats or sheep infected with the bacteria will have late term abortions, stillbirths, or early delivery of weak lambs or kids. The dam usually recovers without any complications. Infected cats can develop swollen eyelids, clear or cloudy discharge from the eyes and nose, and a fever, 3 to 10 days after exposure to the bacteria. The infection usually clears up on its own in 2 to 3 weeks. However, some cats can be sick longer and can develop an infection in their upper (nasal) respiratory tract.

Infected animals can shed the bacteria in their feces, in discharge from the nose or eyes, or in birthing tissues or fluids. The bacteria can be stable in many environments for a few days, or even longer in cold temperatures. Animals can be infected when they come in direct contact with the contaminated materials and inhale or eat them.

Neither clinical signs nor lesions allow a definitive diagnosis of chlamydiosis. Serologic diagnosis of this bacterial infection is not a good method because most chlamydial infections do not elicit sufficiently high changes in antibody levels. Molecular detection by polymerase chain reaction is a rapid, sensitive and specific method of identifying these bacteria (Pantchev et al., 2010).

Utilities:

• Help confirm the disease causing agent
• Shorten the time required to confirm a clinical diagnosis of infection
• Help ensure that mammal populations are free of these bacteria
• Early prevention of spread of these bacteria among an animal facility
• Minimize human exposure to Chlamydia species
• Safety monitoring of biological products that derive from mammals

References:
Pantchev, A, Sting, R., Bauerfeind, R., Tyczka, J. and Sachse, K. (2010) Detection of all Chlamydophila and Chlamydia spp. of veterinary interest using species-specific real-time PCR assays. Comp. Immunol. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 33: 473–484

Specimen requirements: 0.2 ml whole blood in EDTA (purple top) tube, or 0.2 ml urine or feces, or 0.2 ml semen; or fecal, vaginal, urogenital or environmental surface swab; or 0.2 ml fresh or frozen tissue.

Contact Zoologix if advice is needed to determine an appropriate specimen type for a specific diagnostic application. For specimen types not listed here, please contact Zoologix to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.

For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See shipping instructions for more information.

Turnaround time: 2 business days

Methodology: Qualitative real time PCR

Normal range: Nondetected