Detection of Taylorella equigenitalis in Arabian horse of Khuzestan province by culture and PCR

Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) is a venereal transmissible and non-systemic disease of horses caused by a gram negative, bacillus or cocco-bacillus and non-motile bacterium, Taylorella equigenitalis which can lead a transient infertility in mares. Identification of this bacterium is based on microaerophilic culture, but weakness of this bacterium in growth compared with secondary and symbiotic bacteria, has caused that PCR is used as one of the most sensitive and fast technique to identification of this bacterium. In the present study, in order to detection of Taylorella equigenitalis in Arabian horses of Khuzestan province, samples were taken from the clitoral fossa and sinus of 76 mares and also urethral fossa and penile sheath of 4 stallions. The results of miroaerophilic culture on chocolate agar medium and PCR with diagnostic GENEKOM kit (made in Germany) showed that there is no positive case of Taylorella equigenitalis in the specimens. Further studies on other bacteria which were grown on media lead to identification of other bacteria like Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. Streptococcus spp. and staphylococcus spp. The result of this study showed that Taylorella equigenitalis is not as the cause of infertility in Arabian horses of Khouzestan province and health authorities should be considered quarantine and preventive proceedings on entering horses from other provinces and countries.