Prevalence and genotypes of Chlamydia psittaci in pigeons in Jilin Province, Northeastern China
YAO Qiu-xia1,2, ZHANG Xiao-xuan2,3, CHEN Kai2, MA Jian-gang2,3, ZHENG Wen-Bing2,3, XU Xiao-qin1, ZHU Xing-quan2
1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009 China; 2. State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046 China; 3. College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118 China
Abstract:Chlamydia psittaci is a causative agent of psittacosis, which can infect a wide range of hosts including birds and humans. However, information regarding C. psittaci infection in pigeons is scarce. In the present study, a total of 399 fecal samples from pigeons were collected from Jilin Province, northeastern China, between March and May 2015, and examined by nested PCR amplification of outer membrane protein A (ompA) gene. The overall Chlamydiosis prevalence was 5.01% (21/399), with 3.19% in Changchun City and 9.40% in Jilin City. Furthermore, breed was the major risk factor associated with Chlamydia infection in pigeon, boiler pigeons had a prevalence of 7.49%, whereas no C. psittaci was detected in racing pigeons. Sequence analysis of the ompA gene revealed that all the identified isolates represented C. psittaci genotype B. Our results firstly indicated the presence of zoonotic C. psittaci in boiler pigeons in Jilin Province, northeastern China, and effective measures should be implemented to reduce the risk of C. psittaci transmission from pigeons to humans.
[1] Szeredi L, Bacsadi A. Detection of Chlamydophila ( Chlamydia ) abortus and Toxoplasma gondii in smears from cases of ovine and caprine abortion by the streptavidin-biotin method [J]. Comp Pathol, 2002, 127: 257-263. [2] Pantchev A, Sting R, Bauerfeind R, et al. Detection of all Chlamydophila and Chlamydia spp. of veterinary interest using species-specific real-time PCR assays [J]. Comp Immunol Microbiol Inf Dis, 2010, 33: 473-484. doi:10.1016/j.cimid.2009.08.002 [3] Kaleta EF, Taday EM. Avian host range of Chlamydophila spp. based on isolation, antigen detection and serology [J]. Avian Pathol, 2003, 32: 435-461. [4] Beeckman, DSA, Vanrompay, DCG. Zoonotic Chlamydophila from a clinical perspective [J]. Clin Microbiol Infect, 2009, 15: 11-17. doi:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2008.02669 [5] Stewardson AJ, Grayson ML. Psittacosis [J]. Infect Dis Clin North Am, 2010, 24: 7-25. [6] Geens T, Desplanques A, Van Loock M, et al. Sequencing of the Chlamydophila psittaci ompA gene reveals a new genotype, E/B, and the need for a rapid discriminatory genotyping method [J].J Clin Microbiol,2005, 43: 2456-2461. [7] Sachse K, Laroucau K, Vorimore F, et al. DNA microarray-based genotyping of Chlamydophila psittaci strains from culture and clinical samples [J]. Vet Microbiol, 2009, 135: 22-30. doi:10.1016/j.vetmic.2008.09.041 [8] Van Lent S, Piet JR, Beeckman D, et al. Full genome sequences of all nine Chlamydia psittaci genotype reference strains [J]. J Bacteriol, 2012, 194: 6930-6931. doi:10.1128/JB.01828-12 [9] Heddema ER, ter Sluis S, Buys JA, et al. Prevalence of Chlamydophila psittaci in fecal droppings from feral pigeons in Amsterdam, The Netherlands [J].Appl Environ Microb, 2006,72: 4423-4425. [10] Magnino S,Haag-Wackernagel D,Geigenfeind I,et al. Chlamydial infections in feral pigeons in Europe: review of data and focus on public health implications [J]. Vet Microbiol, 2009, 135: 54-67. doi:10.1016/j.vetmic.2008.09.045 [11] Dickx V, Beeckman DSA, Dossche L, et al. Chlamydophila psittaci in homing and feral pigeons and zoonotic transmission [J].J Med Microbiol,2010, 59: 1348-1353. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.023499-0 [12] Pinkerton H, Swank RL. Recovery of virus morphologically identical with psittacosis from thiamin-deficient pigeons [J]. Exp Biol and Med, 1940, 45: 704-706. [13] Geigenfeind I, Haag-Wackernagel D. Detection of Chlamydophila psittaci from feral pigeons in environmental samples: problems with currently available techniques [J].Integr Zool, 2010,5: 63-69. doi:10.1111/j.1749-4877.2010.00187 [14] Cong W, Huang SY, Zhang XY, et al. Seroprevalence of Chlamydia psittaci infection in market-sold adult chickens, ducks and pigeons in north-western China [J]. J Med Microbiol, 2013, 62: 1211-1214. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.059287-0 [15] Ling Y, Chen H, Chen X, et al. Epidemiology of Chlamydia psittaci infection in racing pigeons and pigeon fanciers in Beijing, China [J]. Zoonoses Public Hlth, 2015, 62: 401-406. doi:10.1111/zph.12161 [16] Buxton D, Rae A, Maley SW, et al. Pathogenesis of Chlamydia psittaci infection in sheep: detection of the organism in a serial study of the lymph node [J]. J Comp Pathol, 1996, 114: 221-230. [17] De Lima VY, Langoni H, Da Silva AV, et al. Chlamydophila psittaci and Toxoplasma gondii infection in pigeons (Columba livia) from São Paulo State, Brazil [J].Vet Parasitol,2011, 175: 9-14.doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.10.006 [18] Herrmann B, Persson H, Jensen JK, et al. Chlamydophila psittaci in fulmars, the Faroe Islands [J]. Emerg Infect Dis,2006, 12: 330-332. [19] Zhang NZ, Zhang XX, Zhou DH, et al. Seroprevalence and genotype of Chlamydia in pet parrots in China [J]. Epidemiol Infect, 2015, 14: 55-61. doi:10.1017/S0950268814000363 [20] Stenzel T, Pestka D, Choszcz D. The prevalence and genetic characterization of Chlamydia psittaci from domestic and feral pigeons in Poland and the correlation between infection rate and incidence of pigeon circovirus [J]. Poultry Sci, 2014, 93: 3009-3016. doi:10.3382/ps.2014-04219 [21] Zweifel D, Hoop R, Sachse K, et al. Prevalence of Chlamydophila psittaci in wild birds—potential risk for domestic poultry, pet birds, and public health [J]. Eur J Wildlife Res, 2009, 55: 575-581. [22] Geigenfeind I, Vanrompay D, Haag-Wackernagel D. Prevalence of Chlamydia psittaci in the feral pigeon population of Basel, Switzerland [J]. J Med Microbiol,2012, 61: 261-265. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.034025-0 [23] Ménard A, Clerc M, Subtil A, et al. Development of a real-time PCR for the detection of Chlamydia psittaci [J]. J Med Microbiol, 2006, 55: 471-473. [24] Smith KA, Bradley KK, Stobierski MG,et al. Compendium of measures to control Chlamydophila psittaci (formerly Chlamydia psittaci ) infection among humans (psittacosis) and pet birds [J]. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 2005, 226: 532-539. [25] Binet R, Maurelli AT. Frequency of development and associated physiological cost of azithromycin resistance in Chlamydia psittaci 6BC and C. trachomatis L2[J]. Antimicrob Agents Chemother,2007, 51: 4267-4275. [26] Heddema ER, Van Hannen EJ, Duim B, et al. Genotyping of Chlamydophila psittaci in human samples [J].Emerg Infect Dis, 2006,12: 1989-1990. [27] Dolz G, Solórzano-Morales Á, Angelova L, et al. Chlamydia psittaci genotype B in a pigeon (Columba livia) inhabiting a public place in San José, Costa Rica [J].Open Vet J,2013, 3: 135-139. [28] Madani SA, Peighambari SM. PCR-based diagnosis, molecular characterization and detection of atypical strains of avian Chlamydia psittaci in companion and wild birds [J]. Avian Pathol, 2013, 42: 38-44. doi:10.1080/03079457.2012.757288 [29] Rehn M, Ringberg H, Runehagen A, et al. Unusual increase of psittacosis in southern Sweden linked to wild bird exposure [J]. Euro Surveillance, 2013, 18: 13-20.