Medycyna Wet. 66 (9), 584-587, 2010
| Truszczyński M., Pejsak Z. |
| Pathogenicity of chlamydia for swine in light of new taxonomic data |
| Properties of chlamydia organisms were presented, including their unique growth cycle. Changes in the taxonomy were characterised. The changes are due to the use of molecular biology and the analysis of the genes 16S and 23S rRND. As a result, the order Chlamydiales contains now at least four families. Among them is the family Chlamydiaceae with two genera: Chlamydia and Chlamydophila. The genus Chlamydia includes C. trachomatis, C. muridarium and C. suis, whereas the genus Chlamydophila comprises Cp. pneumoniae, Cp. pecorum, Cp. psittaci, Cp. abortus, Cp. caviae, and Cp. felis. Cp. psittaci causes avian chlamydiosis and Cp. abortus is responsible for ovine chlamydiosis. Moreover, these species and other above-mentioned species participate in causing pathological syndromes of polyetiological character. Also swine are susceptible to these syndromes. Therefore, as a rule, this animal species suffers only from infections by chlamydia in which also other microorganisms participate and not from chlamydiosis caused exclusively by one species of chlamydia, as birds or sheep. Clinical sings of pathological syndromes caused jointly by chlamydia and other microorganisms in swine are: pneumonia, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, pericarditis, abortion and other reproductive disorders, also in boars. Antibiotics effective in chlamydial infections of swine were mentioned. Vaccines are not available. Diagnostic laboratory methods were characterized. The methods have been improved by the introduction of PCR, which makes it possible to identify chlamydia species directly from clinical specimens. |
| Keywords: Chlamydia, taxonomy, pathogenicity, swine |