OIE Reference Laboratory Reports
Activities in 2011
Name of disease (or topic) for
which you are a designated OIE
Reference Laboratory:
Chlamydiosis:
Avian chlamydiosis
Enzootic abortion of ewes (ovine
chlamydiosis)
Address of laboratory:
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut
(Federal Research Institute for Animal Health)
Naumburger Str. 96a
07743 Jena
Germany
Tel.:
0049-3641-804234
Fax:
0049-3641-8042228
e-mail address:
konrad.sachse@fli.bund.de
website:
Name (including Title and
Position) of Head of Laboratory
(Responsible Official):
Konrad Sachse
Name(including Title and
Position) of OIE Reference
Expert:
Konrad Sachse
Name (including Title and
Position) of writer of this report
(if different from above):
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
1
Chlamydiosis
Part I: Summary of general activities related to the disease
1.
2.
Test(s) in use/or available for the specified disease/topic at your laboratory
Test
For
Specificity
Total
Real-time PCR
DNA
Family Chlamydiaceae
2000
Real-time PCR
DNA
Chlamydia psittaci
124
Real-time PCR
DNA
Chlamydia abortus
10
DNA microarray
(ArrayTube® test)
DNA
Parallel test for all 9 chlamydial species
200
DNA microarray
(ArrayTube® test)
DNA
Genotyping of Chlamydia psittaci strains
30
ELISA (CHEKIT
Chlamydia, Idexx)
Antibody
Family Chlamydiaceae
514
Cell culture
Antigen
Species
30
Production and distribution of diagnostic reagents
Reagent
Quantity provided to
national institutions
Quantity provided to
institutions from OIE Member
Countries
Chromosomal DNA from reference and
field strains (aliquots of ca. 5 µg)
10
47
Cell culture aliquots of chlamydial
reference and field strains
13
2
Part II: Activities specifically related to the mandate
of OIE Reference Laboratories
3.
International harmonisation and standardisation of methods for diagnostic testing or the
production and testing of vaccines
a)
Establishment and maintenance of a network with other OIE Reference Laboratories
designated for the same pathogen or disease and organisation of regular inter-laboratory
proficiency testing to ensure comparability of results
There is frequent exchange of information and expertise with the other Reference Laboratory for Ovine
Chlamydiosis, i.e. at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. For instance, 14 samples that gave ambiguous
test results in Zurich were re-examined in our lab. Both laboratories are undertaking a joint effort to promote
DNA microarray testing as a powerful alternative for diagnosis of chlamydia infections.
b)
Organisation of inter-laboratory proficiency testing with laboratories other than OIE
Reference Laboratories for the same pathogens and diseases to ensure equivalence of
results
No inter-laboratory testing has been organised in 2011.
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Chlamydiosis
International co-operation:
Test protocols of real-time PCR assays and DNA microarray tests have been provided to laboratories in
Argentina, Croatia, Hong Kong, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Ukraine. In some cases, more
detailed technical comments explaining the critical points of the technology were provided by e-mail.
Partners from Croatia sent a series of samples for re-examination in order to ensure their accreditation status.
RL Chlamydiosis was involved in the discussion about the safety of a commercial vaccine for ovine enzootic
abortion that came up in 2010 and 2011. Following the publication by Wheelhouse et al (Vaccine, 2010,
28:5657–5663), which provided evidence of the vaccine strain Chlamydia abortus 1B being a possible cause
of abortion cases, there was an immediate exchange of information among the leading research groups from
France, the United Kingdom and the OIE Reference Laboratory about the implications of those findings. The
parties completely agreed that, while suggesting increased awareness and consciousness, the findings in no
way changed the cost-benefit assessment of vaccination against this disease. Nevertheless, the study stressed
the necessity of using the recently developed diagnostic assay (Laroucau et al., Vaccine, 2010, 28:56535656) to distinguish between vaccine and field strains.
RL Chlamydiosis proposes the introduction of an alternative diagnostic reference test for chlamydial
infections to replace cell culture. This procedure includes a validated real-time PCR detection assay in
conjunction with the ArrayTube® or ArrayStrip® microarray tests. The proposal was published in Veterinary
Microbiology (2009, 135, 2-21) and is currently being discussed among the chlamydia research community.
4.
Preparation and supply of international reference standards for diagnostic tests or vaccines
There are no international reference standards for laboratory diagnosis of chlamydiosis at this point in time.
5.
Research and development of new procedures for diagnosis and control
The emphasis has been on optimisation of existing assays in 2011. No new tests have been introduced.
6.
Collection, analysis and dissemination of epizootiological data relevant to international disease
control
None
7.
Maintenance of a system of quality assurance, biosafety and biosecurity relevant to the
pathogen and the disease concerned
RL Chlamydiosis is integrated into the Friedrich Loeffler Institute's quality management system. Adherence to the
FLI's Quality Management Manual is monitored by regular audits at least once per year. In 2011, the institute
passed the re-accreditation inspection, which is conducted every five years.
8.
Provision of consultant expertise to OIE or to OIE Member Countries
In 2011, the head of RL Chlamydiosis wrote an updated version of the OIE Manual's chapter 2.3.1. Avian
Chlamydiosis and reviewed chapter 2.7.7. Enzootic Abortion of Ewes.
A fact sheet on enzootic abortion of ewes was also contributed in the European DISCONTOOLS project.
9.
Provision of scientific and technical training to personnel from other OIE Member Countries
In 2011, researchers and lab diagnosticians from Ukraine, Switzerland and Peru visited the reference lab for
technical training and consultations on chlamydial diagnostic methods, with emphasis on molecular detection
methods.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
3
Chlamydiosis
10. Provision of diagnostic testing facilities to other OIE Member Countries
The reference lab has not been approached for such services.
11. Organisation of international scientific meetings on behalf of OIE or other international bodies
None
12. Participation in international scientific collaborative studies
No collaborative studies fulfilling this criterion.
13. Publication and dissemination of information relevant to the work of OIE (including list of
scientific publications, internet publishing activities, presentations at international conferences)

Presentations at international conferences and meetings
SACHSE, K. Traditional and innovative diagnostic methods. National Meeting on Chlamydioses and Q fever,
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dellle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy, 13-14 April 2011
SACHSE, K. Neues aus dem NRL Psittakose. 5. Arbeitstagung des NRL Psittakose, Jena, Germany 19-20
May.2011
SACHSE, K Clamidiosis Aviar en Europa - Epidemiología, diagnóstico y nuevas perspectivas. Primer Congreso
Internacional de Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes (VII Congreso Argentino de Zoonosis), Buenos Aires,
Argentina, 8-10 June 2011

Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals
BORTH, N., LITSCHE, K., FRANKE, C., SACHSE, K., SALUZ, H.P. HÄNEL, F. (2011) Functional interaction
between Type III-secreted protein IncA of Chlamydophila psittaci and human G3BP1. PLoS one 6(1): e16692.
CHRISTERSON L, RUETTGER A, GRAVNINGEN K, EHRICHT R, SACHSE K, HERRMANN B. (2011)
High-resolution genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis using a novel multilocus typing (MLT) DNA microarray. J
Clin Microbiol. 49, 2838-2843
COLLINGRO A, TISCHLER P, WEINMAIER T, PENZ T, HEINZ E, BRUNHAM RC, READ TD, BAVOIL
PM, SACHSE K, KAHANE S, FRIEDMAN MG, RATTEI T, MYERS GS, HORN M. (2011) Unity in Variety the Pan-Genome of the Chlamydiae. Mol Biol Evol. 28, 3253-3270,
LENZKO, H., MOOG, U., HENNING, K., LEDERBACH, R., DILLER, R., MENGE, C., SACHSE, K.,
SPRAGUE, L.D. (2011) High frequency of chlamydial co-infections in clinically healthy sheep flocks. BMC Vet.
Res. 7:29
PSARRAKOS P, PAPADOGEORGAKIS E, SACHSE K, VRETOU E. (2011) Chlamydia trachomatis ompA
genotypes in male patients with urethritis in Greece - Conservation of the serovar distribution and evidence for
mixed infections with Chlamydophila abortus. Mol Cell Probes.25, 168-173.
REINHOLD, P., LIEBLER-TENORIO, E., SATTLER, S., SACHSE, K. (2011) Recurrence of Chlamydia suis
infection in pigs after short-term antimicrobial treatment. Vet. J. 187, 405–407
REINHOLD, P., SACHSE, K., KALTENBOECK, B. (2010) Chlamydiaceae in cattle: Commensals, trigger
organisms, or pathogens? (Review) Vet. J. 189, 257-267
RUETTGER, A., FEIGE, J., SLICKERS, P., SCHUBERT, E., MORRÉ, S.A., PANNEKOEK, Y., HERRMANN,
B., DE VRIES, H.J.C., EHRICHT, R., SACHSE, K. (2011) Genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis strains from
culture and clinical samples using an ompA-based DNA microarray assay. Mol. Cell. Probes 25, 19-27
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Chlamydiosis
SAIT M, CLARK EM, WHEELHOUSE N, SPALDING L, LIVINGSTONE M, SACHSE K, MARKEY BK,
MAGNINO S, SIARKOU VI, VRETOU E, CARO MR, YAGA R, LAINSON FA, SMITH DG, WRIGHT F,
LONGBOTTOM D. (2011) Genetic variability of Chlamydophila abortus strains assessed by PCR-RFLP analysis
of polymorphic membrane protein-encoding genes. Vet Microbiol. 151, 284-290
SCHÖFL G, VOIGT A, LITSCHE K, SACHSE K, SALUZ HP. Complete genome sequences of four mammalian
isolates of Chlamydophila psittaci. J Bacteriol.193, 4258
VOIGT, A., SCHÖFL, G., HEIDRICH, A., SACHSE, K., SALUZ, H.P. (2011) Full-length de novo sequence of
the Chlamydophila psittaci type strain, 6BC. J Bacteriol. 193,:2662-2663.

Other communications
Book chapters:
WANG, C., KALTENBOECK, B., SACHSE, K. (2011) Chapter 46: Chlamydophila. In: Molecular Detection of
Human Bacterial Pathogens (Ed. Dongyou Liu), CRC Press Taylor & Francis, London, pp. 523-535
SACHSE, K., GALLO VAULET, M.L. (2011) Aplicación de las técnicas moleculares al diagnóstico de las
infecciones por clamidias. In: Temas de Zoonosis V (Eds. J. Basualdo, R. Cacchione, R. Durlach, P. Martino, A.
Seijo), Asociación Argentina de Zoonosis, Buenos Aires, p.473-478
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
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