title: Seroprevalence of Chlamydia psittaci infection in market-sold adult chickens, ducks and pigeons in north-western China.
abstract: Chlamydia psittaci, the agent of psittacosis in humans, infects a wide range of avian species. To assess the risk of psittacosis posed by domestic birds in the urban environment, the prevalence of C. psittaci antibodies in 413 chickens (Gallus domesticus; 305 caged and 108 free-range), 334 ducks (Anas spp.; 111 caged and 223 free-range) and 312 pigeons (Columba livia) in Lanzhou, north-western China, was detected using the indirect haemagglutination assay. The specific antibodies were found in sera of 55 (13.32 %) chickens, 130 (38.92 %) ducks and 97 (31.09 %) pigeons. Statistical analysis showed that the seroprevalence of C. psittaci infection in chickens was significantly lower than that in ducks and pigeons (P<0.05). The C. psittaci seroprevalence in caged and free-range chickens was 7.54 % and 29.63 %, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The C. psittaci seroprevalence in caged and free-range ducks was 26.13 % and 45.29 %, respectively (P<0.05). To our knowledge, this is the first study indicating the presence of C. psittaci infection in market-sold chickens, ducks and pigeons in north-western China. Close contact with these birds is associated with a risk of zoonotic transmission of C. psittaci. Public education should be implemented to reduce the risk of avian to human transmission of such a pathogenic agent.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130118, PR China.|State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Affilliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266071, PR China.
authors.forename: X Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130118, PR China.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China.
authors.forename: H Q
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130118, PR China.|State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China.
authors.forename: X Q
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130118, PR China.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D002645:Chickens; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002691:Chlamydophila psittaci / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010856:Columbidae; D004372:Ducks; D006801:Humans; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D009956:Psittacosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial