IN-VITRO SURVIVAL OF THE BS ISOLATE OF CHLAMYDIA-PSITTACI (OVIS) IN RUMINAL AND ABOMASAL CONTENTS

The ability of the pathogenic BS isolate of Chlamydia psittaci (ovis) to survive after inoculation into ruminal or abomasal contents, and ch lamydial transport medium held at 39 degrees C, was assessed by taking hourly samples which were cultured in mitomycin-treated McCoy cells. The chlamydiae survived for nine hours in the ruminal contents, eight hours in the abomasal contents and for 12 hours in transport medium, w hen the experiment was concluded. There was a steady decrease in the n umbers of the organism in the ruminal and abomasal contents as their p H decreased, but the numbers in the transport medium also decreased wi thout a corresponding change in pH. It is therefore possible that ewes may become infected with C psittaci (ovis) orally via the gastroin-te stinal tract.