H Esmaeili - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
M Bolourchi - Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
M.R Mokhber-Dezfouli - Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia abortus is a zoonotic bacteriumthat commonly causes abortions in ruminants. This microorganismis one of the most important infectious agents causingabortion and major economic losses in sheep and goats worldwide.OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was investigatingthe status of C. abortus infection among small ruminantflocks of some regions in Iran. METHODS: A total of 1440 serasamples from sheep and goats were collected from 113 flocksof 7 provinces and tested with CHEKIT®-ELISA for antibodiesagainst C.abortus. RESULTS: The study detected overall seroprevalencelevels of 25.6% for the individual animals, and81.4% flocks had at least one positive animal. Analysis of differentsheep groups based on their age revealed that the highestnumbers of infected animals were registered in the 2 yearsage group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate thatthe seroprevalence of C.abortus infection in sheep and goats isvery high in Iran. Therefore, it is necessary that Iran’s veterinaryorganization set up appropriate surveillance and controlprograms to reduce economic losses of this disease.Key words:

Chlamydia abortus, seroprevalence, small ruminant