Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Chlamydia Infection in Cattle in Shanxi Province, North China

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Chlamydia, an important zoonotic pathogen, poses a serious threat to public health and the development of animal husbandry. Shanxi Province, famous for its Loess Plateau terrain, has been taking cattle and sheep husbandry as an important direction of development, which means that it is necessary to prioritize the detection of pathogens in cattle and sheep. In this study, based on the location and management pattern, the seroprevalence of Chlamydia and C. abortus infection in cattle in Shanxi Province was examined by indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The results revealed a high (52.29%) overall seroprevalence of Chlamydia in cattle in Shanxi Province. Location was closely related to the prevalence of Chlamydia and C. abortus, and different management patterns also had a certain impact on the prevalence of Chlamydia. This study provided valuable baseline information for the prevention and control of Chlamydia in cattle in Shanxi Province. ABSTRACT: The information on Chlamydia infection in cattle is limited in Shanxi Province, north China. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence and risk factors of Chlamydia and Chlamydia abortus infection in cattle in Shanxi Province. In November 2020, a large-scale investigation of Chlamydia seroprevalence was conducted on 981 cattle serum samples collected from 40 cattle farms in 11 cities of Shanxi Province. The seroprevalence of Chlamydia and C. abortus was examined by indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The seroprevalence of Chlamydia and C. abortus was 52.29% (513/981) and 2.96% (29/981), respectively, in cattle in Shanxi Province. Location was identified as a risk factor for Chlamydia and C. abortus infection (p < 0.05). Under different management patterns, the seroprevalence of Chlamydia and C. abortus in large-scale animal farming companies was higher than that in household animal farms and animal farming cooperatives, and only the seroprevalence of Chlamydia was significantly different in different management patterns (p < 0.01). The results showed that there was higher seroprevalence of Chlamydia in cattle in Shanxi Province, while C. abortus was not the dominant species. This study provided baseline information on Chlamydia infection in cattle in Shanxi Province, which constitutes valuable data for monitoring livestock health and preventing potential zoonoses.