Laboratory of Veterinary Infectology (LIVE), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (EMEVZ), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, BA, Brazil.
Department of Pathology, FMVZ, USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
J Med Microbiol. 2014 Mar;63(Pt 3):458-463. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.060632-0. Epub 2014 Jan 15.
Chlamydia psittaci is the aetiological agent of chlamydiosis in birds, especially Psittaciformes. The objective of the present study was to detect C. psittaci by means of semi-nested PCR among psittacine birds sold at pet markets and kept as pet birds in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Questionnaires were used to identify risk factors involved in the epidemiology of the disease. In addition, the management of birds and cages was observed at each location studied. The frequency of C. psittaci infection was 10.6% (33/311) in the psittacine birds studied. Birds kept in households were less frequently positive (3.4%; 5/148) than those at pet markets (17.2%; 28/163). Among the several factors analysed in the epidemiology of the disease, only population density (P = 0.001) and cage hygiene (P = 0.041) in birds at pet markets were significantly associated with C. psittaci infection. These results demonstrate the presence of C. psittaci infection in Psittaciformes kept as pets and held at pet markets in Salvador, Bahia, showing that this micro-organism is a public health concern. Control measures should be encouraged to prevent the spread of the agent among birds, as well as among employees and customers.
鹦鹉热衣原体是鸟类，尤其是鹦鹉目鸟类衣原体病的病原体。本研究的目的是通过半巢式 PCR 在巴伊亚州萨尔瓦多的宠物市场销售和作为宠物饲养的鹦鹉目鸟类中检测鹦鹉热衣原体。使用问卷来确定与疾病流行病学相关的风险因素。此外，还在每个研究地点观察鸟类和笼子的管理情况。在所研究的 311 只鹦鹉目鸟类中，鹦鹉热衣原体感染的频率为 10.6%（33/311）。家庭饲养的鸟类阳性率较低（3.4%；5/148），而宠物市场的阳性率较高（17.2%；28/163）。在疾病流行病学分析的几个因素中，只有宠物市场上鸟类的种群密度（P = 0.001）和笼子卫生（P = 0.041）与鹦鹉热衣原体感染显著相关。这些结果表明，在巴伊亚州萨尔瓦多的宠物市场销售和作为宠物饲养的鹦鹉目中存在鹦鹉热衣原体感染，表明该微生物是一个公共卫生关注点。应鼓励采取控制措施，防止该病原体在鸟类之间以及员工和客户之间传播。
