Enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE) caused by Chlamydia abortus is a disease of ruminants that results in serious economic losses in livestock industry. The zoonotic potential of the pathogen adds a public health concern on the efforts to control the disease. We report herein a cross-sectional study that was conducted during the lambing season (June and July) in Tunisia to estimate the seroprevalence of C. abortus infection in large sheep herds with abortion history. A total of 803 ewes were sampled and tested using indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). The overall apparent seroprevalence at herd and individual levels were 58 % (95 %CI = 39–74.5 %) and 6.6 % (95 %CI = 4.9–8.3 %), respectively. Significant risk factors investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses were history of infertility (OR = 5.7; 95 %CI = 3.05–10.66), the number of reproductive ewes (OR = 2.1; 95 %CI = 1.12–3.94), the control of new animals at introduction (OR = 4.35; 95 %CI = 2.46–7.68), the sharing of drinking water (OR = 2.18; 95 %CI = 1.22–3.9), the exchange of breeding males (OR = 2.56; 95 %CI = 1.003–6.54), the disposal of abortion materials without precaution (OR = 4.36; 95 %CI = 2.42–7.87), the lack of lambing barn (OR = 2.39; 95 %CI = 1.13–5.04), the non-application of hygienic post-abortion measures (OR = 10.35; 95 %CI = 5.28–20.26) and the manure management (OR = 11.35; 95 %CI = 3.26–39.48). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first sero-epidemiological survey conducted on an abortive disease in Tunisian ewes that investigated the risk factors of C. abortus infection.

母羊地方性流产（EAE）是由流产衣原体引起的一种反刍动物疾病，给畜牧业造成严重的经济损失。该病原体的人畜共患潜力增加了人们对控制该疾病的努力的公共卫生担忧。我们在此报告了一项横断面研究，该研究是在突尼斯产羔季节（六月和七月）进行的，旨在估计有流产史的大型羊群中流产弯曲菌感染的血清流行率。使用间接酶联免疫吸附测定（iELISA）对总共 803 只母羊进行了采样和测试。群体和个体水平的总体表观血清阳性率分别为 58% (95%CI = 39–74.5%) 和 6.6% (95%CI = 4.9–8.3%)。使用单变量和多变量分析调查的重要危险因素包括不孕史（OR = 5.7；95%CI = 3.05–10.66）、繁殖母羊数量（OR = 2.1；95%CI = 1.12–3.94）、新母羊的对照。引入时的动物（OR = 4.35；95 % CI = 2.46–7.68）、共享饮用水（OR = 2.18；95 % CI = 1.22–3.9）、交换繁殖雄性（OR = 2.56；95 % CI = 1.003–6.54）、不采取预防措施处置堕胎材料（OR = 4.36；95 % CI = 2.42–7.87）、缺乏产羔舍（OR = 2.39；95 % CI = 1.13–5.04）、不使用流产后卫生措施（OR = 10.35；95%CI = 5.28–20.26）和粪便管理（OR = 11.35；95%CI = 3.26–39.48）。据我们所知，这是首次针对突尼斯母羊流产疾病进行血清流行病学调查，调查流产衣原体感染的危险因素。