[The most frequent infectious causes of abortion in sheep in north Bavaria with special reference to Chlamydia and Salmonella infections].

Between 1980 and 1987 1153 ovine fetuses and placentas were examined after abortion. In 68.5% of the cases a cause of abortion could be diagnosed as follows: 43.5% Chlamydia psittaci var. ovis, 10.7% Salmonella abortus ovis, 3.7% Coxiella burnetii, 3.3% Listeria monocytogenes and 0.4% Campylobacter fetus intestinalis. Hemolyzing Escherichia coli and Streptococci, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, Corynebacterium pyogenes and other facultative pathogens isolated in pure culture out of fetal organs as well as non-infectious reasons (fetal deformities) were the causes of abortion in only 7%.