Are chlamydiae swine pathogens?

In recent years, there has been a renewed effort to study swine chlamydiae, both because there is an increased awareness of chlamydial diseases and because we now have improved methods of isolation. Six different strains of chlamydiae have been isolated from cases of enteritis, pneumonia, and conjunctivitis in nursing, nursery, and finishing pigs. These isolates are all of the C. trachomatis type and are similar to the human C. trachomatis strains. However, molecular characterization has determined that they are distinctly different from the human strains. This report discusses only the enteritis, pneumonia, and conjunctivitis caused by these strains, although chlamydiae have been associated with arthritis and reproductive diseases in swine, as well.