title: Molecular survey on zoonotic tick-borne bacteria and chlamydiae in feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the presence of zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) from urban areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spleen samples from 84 feral pigeons, found dead with traumatic injuries in urban areas, were examined by PCR to detect DNA of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., and Chlamydophila spp.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty (23.8%) pigeons were infected by tick-borne agents, in particular 2 (2.38%) animals resulted positive for Bartonella spp., 5 (5.95%) for C. burnetii, 5 (5.95%) for Rickettsia spp., 13 (15.47%) for B. burgdorferi sensu lato. All birds scored negative for A. phagocytophilum. Moreover, 17 (20.23%) pigeons were positive for Chlamydophila spp. and among them 10 (11.9%) for Chlamydophila psittaci. Mixed infections by two or three agents were detected in 8 (9.52%) animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Feral pigeons living in urban and periurban areas are a hazard for the human health as source of several pathogens. The obtained results confirm pigeons as reservoirs of chlamydial agents and suggest that they may be involved in the epidemiology of zoonotic tick-borne infections too.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge, 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: valentina.virginia.ebani@unipi.it.
authors.forename: Valentina Virginia
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Ebani
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge, 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertelloni
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge, 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mani
keywords: Chlamydophila psittaci; PCR; Pigeon (Columba livia domestica); Tick-borne bacteria