First record of Chlamydia abortus seroprevalence in Tibetan sheep in Tibet, China

Chlamydia abortus is an important pathogen in a wide range of animals, associated with abortion in sheep. In this survey, 455 blood samples, collected from Tibetan sheep in Tibet, were examined for antibodies against C. abortus by the indirect hemagglutination (IHA) test. 95 of 455 (20.9%) sheep were seropositive for C. abortus antibodies at the cut-off of 1:16. The seropositivity of C. abortus infection in different age groups varied from 15.2% to 40%, although the differences were no statistically significant (P > 0.05). The seroprevalence of C. abortus infection in male sheep (19.4%) was slightly lower than that in females (21.3%), and the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). This is the first report of C. abortus seroprevalence in Tibetan sheep in Tibet, China, which has important implications for public health and the local economy.