Candidate New Species of Kobuvirus in Porcine Hosts

which excluded false-positive results because of amplicon contamination. The second case was identifi ed among the 86 sheep investigated. Placenta and fetal lung and liver exhibited necrotizing placentitis and vasculitis (Figure, panel A), interstitial pneumonia (Figure, panel B), and mixed cellular periportal hepatitis. Fetal liver was negative by parachlamydial 16S rRNA real-time PCR and immunohistochemical analysis, but the fetal lung was positive by parachlamydial 16S rRNA real-time PCR (Ct 40.7) and immunohistochemical tests (Figure, panel C), but negative with the tlc PCR. Fetal lung and liver were positive by realtime PCR for Chlamydiaceae (mean Ct for both organs 36.7), but negative by immunohistochemical tests. The placenta was positive for Chlamydiaceae by immunohistochemical tests and real-time PCR (mean Ct 23.3), and C. abortus was identifi ed by ArrayTube Microarray. Brown (Chlamydiaceae) and red (Parachlamydia spp.) granular reaction was demonstrated within the necrotic lesions of the placenta by double immunohistochemical labeling (Figure, panel D). We report Parachlamydia infection in small ruminant abortion. C. abortus and Parachlamydia spp. were simultaneously present in an aborted sheep placenta. Parachlamydia spp. could be further detected in the lung of the aborted sheep fetus by realtime PCR and immunohistochemistry. Parachlamydia was also detected in a goat placenta. Thus, Parachlamydia spp. should be considered as a new abortigenic agent in sheep and goats. Persons in contact with small ruminants should be informed about the zoonotic potential of these abortigenic agents.