Prevalence of Chlamydia psittaci and Other Chlamydia Species in Wild Birds in Poland.
Avian chlamydiosis is a zoonotic disease occurring in humans, poultry, and exotic birds. It has been suggested that some wild bird species play an important role as reservoirs for Chlamydia, especially Chlamydia psittaci. Whereas C. psittaci is the predominant chlamydial agent in birds, in the present study we have determined the prevalence of different species of Chlamydia among selected wild bird species in Poland using a rapid and sensitive real-time PCR method. In total, 369 free-living birds from 35 bird species and 15 orders were examined. Samples from 27 birds (7.3%) were positive for chlamydial DNA in the PCR; 22 positive samples (81.5%) belonged to C. psittaci, three to Chlamydia trachomatis (11.1%), and two (7.4%) classified only to the genus Chlamydia. Most of C. psittaci-positive samples belonged to five orders: Anseriformes, Columbiformes, Gruiformes, Phasianiformes, and Passeriformes. All C. trachomatis samples were obtained from Eurasian coots (Gruiformes). Two Chlamydia-positive samples not classified to any Chlamydia species were obtained from a common wood pigeon (Columbiformes) and a common buzzard (Accipitriformes). Detection of C. psittaci and C. trachomatis in free-living bird populations force to think on significance of birds as reservoir of varied Chlamydia species and their epidemiological importance.
Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Bird and Exotic Animals, The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences , Wrocław, Poland .
Marta
M
Krawiec
Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Bird and Exotic Animals, The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences , Wrocław, Poland .
Tomasz
T
Piasecki
Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Bird and Exotic Animals, The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences , Wrocław, Poland .
Alina
A
Wieliczko
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology*; D002689:Chlamydia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002691:Chlamydophila psittaci / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence
Chlamydia psittaci; Chlamydia trachomatis; Real-time PCR; Wild birds