An epizootic of Chlamydia psittaci equine reproductive loss associated with suspected spillover from native Australian parrots.

ABSTRACT: Chlamydia psittaci is an avian pathogen capable of spill-over infections to humans. A parrot C. psittaci strain was recently detected in an equine reproductive loss case associated with a subsequent cluster of human C. psittaci infections. In this study, we screened for C. psittaci in cases of equine reproductive loss reported in regional New South Wales, Australia during the 2016 foaling season. C. psittaci specific-PCR screening of foetal and placental tissue samples from cases of equine abortion (n?=?161) and foals with compromised health status (n?=?38) revealed C. psittaci positivity of 21.1% and 23.7%, respectively. There was a statistically significant geographical clustering of cases ~170?km inland from the mid-coast of NSW (P?

SUBMITTER: Jenkins C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5953950 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature