Abstract
AbstractOutbreaks caused byChlamydia psittaciand other chlamydial species have recently been reported in poultry farms worldwide, causing considerable economic losses. The objective of this study was to determine the presence of chlamydial species in these birds in Costa Rica. One hundred and fifty pools of lung tissue samples from industrial poultry with respiratory problems and 112 pools of tracheal swabs from asymptomatic backyard poultry were analysed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), end-point PCR and sequencing. A total of 16.8% (44/262) samples were positive forChlamydiaspp., most of them detected in asymptomatic backyard poultry (28.6%, 32/112) and fewer in industrial poultry (8%, 12/150). Of these positive samples, 45.5% (20/44) were determined to beC. psittaci. For the first timeC. psittacigenotype A is reported in poultry in Latin America. In addition, the presence ofChlamydia gallinaceain backyard poultry and ofChlamydia muridarumin industrial and backyard poultry is reported for the first time in Central America. In 40.9% (18/44) of the positive samples, it was not possible to identify the infecting chlamydial species. These findings reveal a zoonotic risk, particularly for poultry farm and slaughterhouse workers having direct contact with these birds.
Highlights
Avian chlamydiosis or psittacosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the intracellular bacterium Chlamydia psittaci, which is widely distributed worldwide [1]
A total of 44 (16.8%) of 262 samples were positive for Chlamydia spp. by the family-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), 12 (8.0%) in group 1 and 32 (28.6%) in group 2 (Table 1)
The present study reports the first detection of different Chlamydia species in gallinaceous birds from commercial and backyard farms in Costa Rica and in Central America
Summary
Avian chlamydiosis or psittacosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the intracellular bacterium Chlamydia psittaci, which is widely distributed worldwide [1]. This bacterium can infect more than 467 species of birds and several species of mammals, including humans [2]. Its pathogenicity in infected birds depends on the affected species and the infecting C. psittaci strain. Psittacosis is a notifiable disease in humans and companion birds, and it has recently become so in poultry [7]. Chickens and turkeys initially seemed to be less susceptible to chlamydial infection and to be a sporadic source of human infection [8], studies often reported C. psittaci in this type of birds and its transmission to humans [9, 10]. The zoonotic potential of C. gallinacea has been suggested, but no conclusive evidence has been presented to date [7]
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