Mackie J T, Gillett A K, Palmieri C, Feng T, Higgins D P
Vepalabs, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.
Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Beerwah, Queensland, Australia.
J Comp Pathol. 2016 Nov;155(4):356-360. doi: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2016.07.011. Epub 2016 Aug 24.
Chlamydiosis is a common infectious disease of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), but Chlamydia spp. have not yet been demonstrated to cause pneumonia in these animals. A juvenile male koala died following an episode of respiratory disease. At necropsy examination, the lung tissue was consolidated. Microscopical lesions in the lung included pyogranulomatous bronchopneumonia, proliferation of bronchiolar and alveolar epithelium and interstitial fibrosis. Hyperplastic bronchiolar epithelial cells contained aggregates of small basophilic punctate organisms, which were confirmed as chlamydiae by transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Real-time polymerase chain reaction identified these as Chlamydia pecorum. This report provides the best evidence to date of chlamydial infection causing pneumonia in a koala, and the first evidence that C. pecorum is capable of infecting the bronchiolar epithelium of the koala.
衣原体病是考拉（树袋熊）常见的传染病，但尚未证实衣原体属会在这些动物中引发肺炎。一只幼年雄性考拉在患呼吸道疾病后死亡。尸检时，肺组织实变。肺部的微观病变包括脓性肉芽肿性支气管肺炎、细支气管和肺泡上皮细胞增生以及间质纤维化。增生的细支气管上皮细胞内含有嗜碱性点状小生物聚集体，经透射电子显微镜和免疫组织化学证实为衣原体。实时聚合酶链反应鉴定这些为澳大利亚衣原体。本报告提供了迄今为止衣原体感染导致考拉肺炎的最佳证据，也是澳大利亚衣原体能够感染考拉细支气管上皮的首个证据。
