Work

Waddlia chondrophila: from a bovine abortigenic agent to a potential cause of human adverse pregnancy outcomes

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Graphical Abstract Waddlia chondrophila is an obligate intracellular bacterium that was first isolated from an aborted bovine foetus, but since then, it has been primarily found in different aquatic environments, including wells and hot water systems. In amoebae and other eukaryotic host cells, it has a biphasic developmental cycle, with an infectious extracellular form (elementary body) and a replicative intracellular form (reticulate body). W. chondrophila is a prevalent abortigenic agent in African cattle and is associated, in humans, with adverse pregnancy outcomes and respiratory infections. Its reservoir is probably mammals or amoebae, but the mode of transmission to humans remains unclear. It could be zoonotic (from companion animals or livestock, especially cattle), vector-borne (through arthropods) or water-borne (via infected amoebae).

Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology

DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.002130

Authors: Carole Kebbi-Beghdadi, David Longbottom, Hanna Marti, Gilbert Greub, on behalf of the ESCMID Study Group for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Infections (ESGMAC)

Institutions: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Moredun Research Institute, University of Zurich

Language: English

Topic: Legionella and Acanthamoeba research

Subfield: Endocrinology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Science Foundation, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung