A Case Study of Zoonotic Chlamydia abortus Infection: Diagnostic Challenges From Clinical and Microbiological Perspectives

Anne-Valérie Burgener; Helena M B Seth-Smith; Sina Kern-Baumann; Ana Durovic; Anette Blaich; Thomas Menter; Elisabeth Bruder; Tim Roloff; Aurélien Martinez; Nicole Borel; Sarah Albini; Irene Hösli; Adrian Egli; Maja Weisser; Vladimira Hinić

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofac524

A Case Study of Zoonotic Chlamydia abortus Infection: Diagnostic Challenges From Clinical and Microbiological Perspectives

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2022 Oct 12;9(10):ofac524. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac524. eCollection 2022 Oct.

Authors

Anne-Valérie Burgener¹, Helena M B Seth-Smith^{2

3}, Sina Kern-Baumann⁴, Ana Durovic¹, Anette Blaich², Thomas Menter⁵, Elisabeth Bruder⁵, Tim Roloff^{2

3}, Aurélien Martinez¹, Nicole Borel⁶, Sarah Albini⁷, Irene Hösli⁴, Adrian Egli^{2

3}, Maja Weisser¹, Vladimira Hinić²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
² Division of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
³ Applied Microbiology Research, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
⁵ Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
⁶ Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁷ Vetsuisse Faculty, National Reference Centre for Poultry and Rabbit Diseases, Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Abstract

Chlamydia abortus is the most common causative agent of abortion in small ruminants, but it is poorly recognized as a human pathogen. In most published case studies, diagnosis remained difficult and often resulted in delayed initiation of therapy. In this case study of severe C abortus infection in a pregnant farmer from Switzerland, we highlight the clinical and microbiological diagnostic challenges and provide evidence of a zoonotic epidemiological link.

Keywords: Chlamydia abortus; abortion; doxycycline; pregnancy; sequencing; zoonosis.

Publication types

Case Reports