Pace Antonino, Vicari Nadia, Rigamonti Sara, Magnino Simone, Borrelli Luca, Dipineto Ludovico, Fioretti Alessandro, Hochscheid Sandra, Tavares Luís, Duarte Ana
Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80055 Portici, Italy.
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80137 Naples, Italy.
Animals (Basel). 2022 Mar 11;12(6):715. doi: 10.3390/ani12060715.
Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria that include pathogens of human and veterinary importance. Several reptiles were reported to host chlamydial agents, but pathogenicity in these animals still needs clarification. Given that only one report of chlamydiosis was described in sea turtles, and that chlamydiae might also be detected in hosts without clinical signs, the current study examined asymptomatic Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtles for the presence of chlamydial DNA. Twenty loggerhead sea turtles, rehabilitated at the Marine Turtle Research Centre (Portici, Italy), were examined collecting ocular-conjunctival, oropharyngeal and nasal swabs. Samples were processed through quantitative and conventional PCR analyses to identify Chlamydiales and , with particular attention to , , , and . Although it was not possible to determine the species of chlamydiae involved, the detection of chlamydial DNA from the collected samples suggests that these microorganisms might act as opportunistic pathogens, and underlines the role of sea turtles as potential carriers. This study highlights the presence of chlamydial agents in sea turtles, and encourages further research to fully characterize these microorganisms, in order to improve the management of the health and conservation of these endangered species, and prevent potential zoonotic implications.
衣原体是专性细胞内细菌，包括对人类和兽医具有重要意义的病原体。有报道称几种爬行动物携带衣原体病原体，但这些动物中的致病性仍需阐明。鉴于仅在海龟中有一例衣原体病的报告，并且在没有临床症状的宿主中也可能检测到衣原体，本研究对无症状的地中海蠵龟进行了衣原体DNA检测。对在意大利波蒂奇海龟研究中心康复的20只蠵龟进行了检查，采集了眼结膜、口咽和鼻拭子。通过定量和常规PCR分析对样本进行处理，以鉴定衣原体目，特别关注鹦鹉热衣原体、沙眼衣原体、肺炎衣原体和流产衣原体。尽管无法确定所涉及的衣原体种类，但从采集的样本中检测到衣原体DNA表明这些微生物可能作为机会性病原体起作用，并强调了海龟作为潜在携带者的作用。本研究突出了蠵龟中衣原体病原体的存在，并鼓励进一步研究以全面鉴定这些微生物，从而改善对这些濒危物种的健康管理和保护，并防止潜在的人畜共患病影响。
