Preliminary seroprevalence study of zoonotic abortigenic agents in the abortion inexperienced sheep population in the Northern Cyprus

TL;DR

This study examines the presence of zoonotic agents causing abortion in sheep in Northern Cyprus and finds that brucellosis is no longer a problem, but other pathogens remain.

Contribution

The study provides the first seroprevalence data for zoonotic abortion agents in sheep in Northern Cyprus.

Findings

Brucellosis was not detected in any of the tested sheep serum samples.

Toxoplasma gondii, Coxiella burnetii, and Chlamydia abortus were found to be present in the sheep population.

Biosecurity measures could help reduce zoonotic abortion issues in the region.

Abstract

There is no detailed and comprehensive study to determine the seroprevalence of zoonotic infections that cause abortion in sheep in Northern Cyprus. The study was conducted in the 3 districts with the highest sheep population in Northern Cyprus. This cross-sectional study aimed to serologically determine Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis, Toxoplasma gondii, Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydia abortus, which are the agents of zoonotic abortion in sheep and to investigate the seroprevalence rate in these 3 regions. A total of 450 serum samples were collected from 45 farms located in the districts of Lefkoşa, Vadili and Ziyamet, where the sheep population is highest in Northern Cyprus. Serum samples were taken from 10 sheep in 15 farms, in each of the three districts for a total of 450 samples, and exposure to Brucella spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydia abortus were investigated. Brucellosis was found negative in all serum samples with the complement fixation test. With the ELISA test, 96 (21.33%) sheep were detected as Toxoplasma gondii positive, 175 (38.88%) sheep as Coxiella burnetii positive and 14 (3.11%) sheep sera were detected as Chlamydia abortus positive. With the eradication studies implemented in Northern Cyprus, it was determined that Brucellosis was no longer a problem in this region, that T. gondii, C. burnetii and C. abortus pathogens were detected in Northern Cyprus, and that the zoonotic abortion problem in this region could be reduced by taking biosecurity measures.