Chlamydia-related Organisms: Infection in Ruminants and Potential for Zoonotic transmission

The chlamydiae are a diverse group of obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacteria that are known to infect a wide variety of host species and are responsible for a wide range of diseases in animals and man. Studies of human disease first provided evidence for the disease-causing potential of Chlamydia-related bacteria, however there is now increasing evidence that a number of these organisms may also be the causative agents for a number of pathogenic conditions of ruminants that had previously remained undiagnosed. The aim of this review is to draw together the evidence for the role of the newly emerging chlamydial infections in livestock disease