title: An investigation on the presence of Chlamydiaceae in Swedish dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacteria belonging to the family Chlamydiaceae cause a broad spectrum of diseases in a wide range of hosts, including man, other mammals, and birds. Upper respiratory and genital diseases are common clinical problems caused by Chlamydiaceae. Very little is known about chlamydial infections in dogs. Few clinical reports on natural disease in dogs describe mainly conjunctival and upper respiratory signs, and the role of Chlamydiaceae in genital disease is unclear. The present study aimed at studying the prevalence of Chlamydiaceae in healthy dogs and in dogs with genital or upper respiratory disease, including conjunctivitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Chlamydiaceae was used to detect any chlamydial species within this family. Swab samples from the conjunctiva and the mucosal membranes of the oropharynx, rectum and genital tract were taken from 79 dogs: 27 clinically healthy dogs, 25 dogs with clinical signs from the genital tract and 28 dogs with conjunctivitis. There were 52 female and 27 male dogs. From 7 of the male dogs, additional semen samples were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No Chlamydiaceae were detected from any dog.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the number of dogs that was included is limited, the results suggest that cases of Chlamydiaceae in dogs probably are related to infection from other species, and that dogs in general do not harbour Chlamydiaceae. Bacteria belonging to the family Chlamydiaceae do not seem to be of major importance for genital or ocular disease in Swedish dogs.
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, Sweden. Bodil.Strom-Holst@kv.slu.se
authors.forename: Bodil Ström
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Holst
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hanås
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bölske
authors.forename: Catharina Linde
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Forsberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002693:Chlamydiaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002694:Chlamydiaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial