Origlia Javier A, Lorenti Eliana, Nusblat Leonora, Maydup Fernando, Lara Claudia S, Cremonte Florencia, Sguazza Hernan, Diaz Julia I, Cadario Maria E
Cátedra de Patología de Aves y Pilíferos Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CCT La Plata CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
Vet Res Commun. 2025 Sep 19;49(6):316. doi: 10.1007/s11259-025-10893-8.
Chlamydiaceae is a Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterial family that includes pathogens and zoonotic species. Birds are recognized as reservoirs of Chlamydia, with C. psittaci identified as the main agent of avian chlamydiosis. This study reports the detection and molecular characterization of Chlamydiaceae in three gull species (Larus dominicanus, Chroicocephalus maculipennis and Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus) that frequented anthropogenic environments in Argentina. A total of 121 gulls were captured at a household sanitary landfill in Buenos Aires province and at an open landfill receiving fishing discards in Chubut province. A single multimucosal swab of each gull was collected and stored in SPG transport medium. Screening was conducted using qPCR targeting the Chlamydiaceae 23S rRNA gene, along with species-specific qPCR assays for C. psittaci, C. gallinacea, and C. avium. A short segment of the 16S rRNA gene and a longer fragment comprising the 16S rRNA gene, 16S/23S intergenic spacer region, and a portion of the 23S rRNA gene were used for sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Attempts to culture the bacteria in VERO cells were unsuccessful. Twenty-three gull samples tested positive for the Chlamydiaceae 23S rRNA gene; however, none were positive when they were tested using species-specific qPCRs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most strains clustered with Chlamydia-like organisms previously detected in gulls and Magellanic penguins from Argentina. Two gulls were phylogenetically clustered with C. abortus, a known zoonotic species. Additionally, two sequences showed 93.53-93.78% and 93.13-93.14% identity with members of the recently described genus Chlamydiifrater. These findings confirm the circulation of Chlamydiaceae in gulls from the study area and provide the first evidence of chlamydial infection in Chroicocephalus maculipennis and Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus highlighting the potential role of gulls as reservoirs and disseminators of chlamydial agents.
衣原体科是一类革兰氏阴性专性细胞内细菌家族，包括病原体和人畜共患病原体。鸟类被认为是衣原体的宿主，鹦鹉热衣原体被确定为禽衣原体病的主要病原体。本研究报告了在阿根廷经常出没于人为环境的三种鸥类（多米尼加鸥、黄斑头鸥和卷羽头鸥）中衣原体科的检测及分子特征。在布宜诺斯艾利斯省的一个家庭卫生填埋场和丘布特省一个接收渔业废弃物的露天填埋场共捕获了121只鸥。采集每只鸥的单个多黏膜拭子，并保存在SPG运输培养基中。使用针对衣原体科23S rRNA基因的qPCR以及针对鹦鹉热衣原体、鸡衣原体和鸟衣原体的种特异性qPCR检测进行筛查。16S rRNA基因的短片段以及包含16S rRNA基因、16S/23S基因间隔区和部分23S rRNA基因的较长片段用于测序和系统发育分析。在VERO细胞中培养细菌的尝试未成功。23份鸥类样本的衣原体科23S rRNA基因检测呈阳性；然而，使用种特异性qPCR检测时均为阴性。系统发育分析表明，大多数菌株与先前在阿根廷的鸥类和麦哲伦企鹅中检测到的衣原体样生物聚集在一起。两只鸥在系统发育上与流产衣原体（一种已知的人畜共患病原体）聚集在一起。此外，两个序列与最近描述的衣原体属成员的同一性分别为93.53 - 93.78%和93.13 - 93.14%。这些发现证实了衣原体科在研究区域的鸥类中传播，并首次提供了黄斑头鸥和卷羽头鸥衣原体感染的证据，突出了鸥类作为衣原体病原体宿主和传播者的潜在作用。
