ABSTRACT
Abortion is one of the most important factors reducing lambing rate and consequently profitability of sheep farms. In addition to financial losses, it is also important from a zoonotic point of view. The aim of this study was to investigate bacterial abortifacient agents in an outbreak of abortion occurring in Afshari sheep in the northwest of Zanjan province. Vaginal swab samples were collected from 217 Afshari ewes [129 samples were taken from aborted ewes, 3 samples from ewes with crippled and deformed lambs, and 85 samples from animals that had given birth to healthy lambs] from reported flocks involved in outbreak. Swabs were examined by PCR assay to detect DNA from Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydophila abortus, Salmonellaenterica, Yersiniaenterocolitica, Campylobacter fetus, Brucella ovis and Leptospira interrogans. Based on the results, only DNA of Campylobacter was detected in the samples. A 266 bp fragment specific for Campylobacter was amplified from 51.52% and 34.12% samples belonging to aborted and non-aborted ewes, respectively. Significant presence of the bacterium in aborted ewes [p<0.001] compared to the non-aborted groups with odd ratio of 3, emphasizes that Campylobacter could be involved in the outbreak of the abortion. Considering the importance of the disease, prophylactic measures are needed to reduce the disease. However, further investigations are required to determine the impact of this bacterium in prevalence of abortion in sheep in other areas