1/4. Ovine chlamydiosis in an abattoir worker.The strain of chlamydia psittaci causing enzootic abortion in ewes (the EAE strain) may cause serious infection in pregnant women, often resulting in hepatic and renal dysfunction, disseminated intravascular coagulation and fetal loss. The first case of such an infection in an abattoir worker is described and the possibility of human-to-human transmission considered. Direct handling of sheep or their products of conception can usually be established but this is not always so. There is much still to be learned about this uncommon but severe zoonosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abortion (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/4. Abortion due to infection with chlamydia psittaci in a sheep farmer's wife.A farmer's wife who had helped with lambing aborted spontaneously in March after a short febrile illness in the 28th week of her pregnancy. She developed disseminated intravascular coagulation post partum with acute renal failure and pulmonary oedema. Recovery was complete after two weeks of hospital care. A strain of chlamydia psittaci, probably of ovine origin, was isolated from the placenta and fetus. The patient's serum showed rising titres of antibody against chlamydia group antigen; the placental and fetal isolates; and a known ovine abortion, but not a known avian, strain of C psittaci. IgG against both ovine abortion and enteric strains of C psittaci was detected, but IgM against only an abortion strain was detected. Histological examination showed pronounced intervillus placentitis with chlamydial inclusions in the trophoblast but no evidence of fetal infection or amnionitis. Laboratory evidence of chlamydial infection was found in an aborting ewe on the farm in January and in remaining sheep and lambs in July. Doctors should recognise the possible risk to pregnant women in rural areas where chlamydial infections in farm animals are widespread.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = abortion (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/4. Severe chlamydia psittaci sepsis in pregnancy.Two patients with severe chlamydial sepsis in pregnancy are described and compared with previously published case reports. The infections appear to have been zoonotic, the patients acquiring their infections as a result of exposure to enzootic abortion of ewes. This is an important but poorly recognised human infection which because of its severity in pregnancy deserves consideration in patients with an appropriate occupational history.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abortion (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/4. pregnancy complicated by psittacosis acquired from sheep.Two cases of chlamydial infection in pregnant women are described, the first serologically proved and the second suspected. In both cases the infection was probably contracted from sheep suffering with enzootic abortion. Both patients were farmers' wives who had helped their husbands and lambing and developed a non-specific febrile illness in late pregnancy. In the first case as there was no clinical improvement after 26 hours the patient was delivered by caesarean section of a live infant in good condition; the patient recovered fully. The second patient had presented a year earlier, the fetus had died in the uterus, and the patient himself died after spontaneous labour and forceps delivery 14 hours after admission. Both patients developed disseminated intravascular coagulation. As the casual agent in enzootic abortion in ewes has a predilection for the placenta, early delivery may be the management of choice in late pregnancy if infection with this organism if suspected.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = abortion (Clic here for more details about this article) |