a Division of Environmental Epidemiology & Veterinary Public Health , Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University , Utrecht , The Netherlands.
b Department of Bacteriology and Epidemiology , Wageningen Bioveterinary Research , Lelystad , The Netherlands.
Vet Q. 2018 Dec;38(1):63-66. doi: 10.1080/01652176.2018.1482028. Epub 2018 Jun 5.
Feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) live and breed in many city centres and contact with their droppings can be a hazard for human health if the birds carry Chlamydia psittaci.
The aim of this study was to establish whether pigeon droppings in two Dutch cities (Utrecht and Haarlem) contain C. psittaci and/or C. avium, which could be a potential hazard for transmission to humans.
In May 2017 seven feral pigeon 'hot spots' with between 5 and 40+ pigeons present were identified in two cities by visual observations over two days. During the following ten days fresh droppings were collected at these hot spots and the samples were pooled per three droppings to achieve 40-41 samples per city. Samples were analysed for Chlamydia DNA with a broad range 23S Chlamydiaceae Real-Time PCR and positive samples were tested with a specific C. psittaci and C. avium Real-Time PCR. Positive C. psittaci samples were genotyped.
C. psittaci and C. avium were detected in both cities. For C. psittaci the prevalences in Utrecht and Haarlem were 2.4% and 7.5%, respectively; for C. avium 36.6% and 20.0%, respectively. One sample contained both species. All C. psittaci samples belonged to genotype B.
C. psittaci and C. avium are present in feral pigeon droppings in Utrecht and Haarlem. Human contact with droppings from infected pigeons or inhalation of dust from dried droppings represent a potential hazard to public health.
野生鸽子（Columba livia domestica）在许多城市中心生活和繁殖，如果这些鸟类携带鹦鹉热衣原体，它们的粪便可能对人类健康构成危害。
本研究旨在确定在荷兰的两个城市（乌得勒支和哈勒姆）的鸽子粪便中是否含有鹦鹉热衣原体和/或衣原体，这可能是人类传播的潜在危险。
2017 年 5 月，通过两天的视觉观察，在这两个城市确定了 7 个有 5 到 40+只鸽子的野生鸽子“热点”。在接下来的十天里，在这些热点收集新鲜的粪便，每个城市的样本按三个粪便混合收集，每个城市有 40-41 个样本。使用广谱 23S 衣原体科实时 PCR 分析样品中的衣原体 DNA，对阳性样本进行特异性鹦鹉热衣原体和衣原体实时 PCR 检测。阳性的鹦鹉热衣原体样本进行基因分型。
在两个城市都检测到了鹦鹉热衣原体和衣原体。在乌得勒支和哈勒姆，鹦鹉热衣原体的流行率分别为 2.4%和 7.5%；衣原体的流行率分别为 36.6%和 20.0%。一个样本同时含有这两种病原体。所有的鹦鹉热衣原体样本都属于 B 型。
在乌得勒支和哈勒姆的野生鸽子粪便中存在鹦鹉热衣原体和衣原体。人类接触感染鸽子的粪便或吸入干燥粪便中的灰尘，对公众健康构成潜在威胁。
