Isolation of Tetracycline-Resistant <i>Chlamydia suis</i> from a Pig Herd Affected by Reproductive Disorders and Conjunctivitis

oleh: Christine Unterweger, Lukas Schwarz, Martina Jelocnik, Nicole Borel, René Brunthaler, Aleksandra Inic-Kanada, Hanna Marti

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-04-01

Deskripsi

Due to various challenges in diagnosing chlamydiosis in pigs, antibiotic treatment is usually performed before any molecular or antibiotic susceptibility testing. This could increase the occurrence of tetracycline-resistant <i>Chlamydia (C.) suis</i> isolates in the affected pig population and potentiate the reoccurrence of clinical signs. Here, we present a case of an Austrian pig farm, where tetracycline resistant and sensitive <i>C. suis</i> isolates were isolated from four finishers with conjunctivitis. On herd-level, 10% of the finishers suffered from severe conjunctivitis and sows showed a high percentage of irregular return to estrus. Subsequent treatment of whole-herd using oxytetracycline led to a significant reduction of clinical signs. Retrospective antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed tetracycline resistance and decreased susceptibility to doxycycline in half of the ocular <i>C. suis</i> isolates, and all isolates were able to partially recover following a single-dose tetracycline treatment in vitro. These findings were later confirmed in vivo, when all former clinical signs recurred three months later. This case report raises awareness of tetracycline resistance in <i>C. suis</i> and emphasizes the importance of preventative selection of tetracycline resistant <i>C. suis</i> isolates.