Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (Federal Research Institute for Animal Health), Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Jena, Germany.
Vet Microbiol. 2012 Jun 15;157(3-4):476-80. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.01.002. Epub 2012 Jan 8.
In the literature, studies of Chlamydia infection in birds have usually been confined to the search for Chlamydia (C., formerly Chlamydophila) psittaci, so that little is known about the presence of other chlamydial agents. In the present study, cloacal swabs and faeces samples of urban pigeons have been examined by real-time PCR, DNA microarray assays and partial ompA sequencing. Whilst C. psittaci was the predominant chlamydial agent in this pigeon population (75.8% of all Chlamydiaceae positives), the combined use of highly specific and sensitive molecular assays facilitated the detection of atypical serovars of C. psittaci, as well as other species of Chlamydia, such as C. abortus. Detection of C. pecorum and C. trachomatis from an avian host is reported here for the first time. Rather unexpectedly, 19.5% of all Chlamydiaceae-positive cases turned out to be infected with non-classified organisms. The considerable prevalence of these novel agents raises the question of their epidemiological importance and possible role as pathogens. Future surveys in domestic and wild birds will have to take the extended variety of chlamydial organisms into account.
在文献中，鸟类衣原体感染的研究通常仅限于寻找鹦鹉热衣原体（C.，以前称为衣原体），因此对其他衣原体病原体知之甚少。在本研究中，通过实时 PCR、DNA 微阵列分析和部分 ompA 测序检测了城市鸽子的泄殖腔拭子和粪便样本。虽然鹦鹉热衣原体是该鸽群中主要的衣原体病原体（所有衣原体科阳性的 75.8%），但高特异性和高灵敏度的分子检测方法的联合使用有助于检测到不典型的鹦鹉热衣原体血清型，以及其他衣原体物种，如流产衣原体和沙眼衣原体。在此首次从禽类宿主中检测到了肠球菌和衣原体。出乎意料的是，所有衣原体科阳性病例中有 19.5%感染了未分类的病原体。这些新型病原体的相当高的流行率引发了它们在流行病学上的重要性和作为病原体的可能作用的问题。未来对家禽和野生鸟类的调查必须考虑到广泛的衣原体病原体。
