Chlamydophila species in dairy farms: Polymerase chain reaction prevalence, disease association, and risk factors identified in a cross-sectional study in western Germany

Abstract

The prevalence of Chlamydophila spp. was determined in a cross-sectional study carried out in 2007 using 100 randomly selected dairy herds in the western part of Germany. Ten dairy cows per herd were sampled in herds with fewer than 100 cows; in bigger herds, 10% of the cows were sampled. For the detection of Chlamydophila spp., vaginal swabs from early lactating dairy cows were analyzed using an established highly sensitive genus-specific real-time PCR. In consideration of the discontinuous shedding of the pathogen, a herd was classified as positive if at least 1 animal per herd tested positive for Chlamydophila spp. By use of these methods and definitions, 61% of the dairy herds and 13.5% of the cows were detected as PCR-positive for Chlamydophila spp., which is indicative for ongoing infections. To compare herd health and herd performance between herds testing positive or negative and to identify risk factors for the presence of Chlamydophila spp., a questionnaire was designed to evaluate farm characteristics and management practices. In addition, the performance recordings of the state dairy recording organization were used for these purposes. Milk yield, number of lactations, and calving to first-service interval were lower in herds testing positive for Chlamydophila spp. compared with negative herds. For all these variables, there was no interaction between Chlamydophila status and lactation number. Replacement of animals from outside sources, use of breeding bulls, lack of separate calving pens, and low scores for cleanliness of beddings, walkways, and cows were identified as the main risk factors for Chlamydophila spp.