Chlamydiaceae -Like Bacterium in Wild Magellanic Penguins ( Spheniscus magellanicus )

The family Chlamydiaceae is comprised of obligate intracellular bacteria, some of which are significant pathogens of humans and domestic animals. Magellanic penguins ( Spheniscus magellanicus ) are susceptible to Chlamydia psittaci outbreaks in captivity, and serological surveys detected antibodies...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diversity
Main Authors: Lucía Gallo Vaulet, Ralph Eric Thijl Vanstreels, Luciana Gallo, Andrea Carolina Entrocassi, Laura Peker, Gabriela S. Blanco, Maria Virginia Rago, Marcelo Rodriguez Fermepin, Marcela M. Uhart
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022
Subjects:
chlamydiosis
microbiota
real-time PCR
seabird
South America
wild bird
Biology (General)
QH301-705.5
Bering Sea
Argentina
Chubut
Antarc*
Antarctica
antarcticus
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090746
https://doaj.org/article/fa88fc0b0c5640c190c50d681447bdb3
Description
Summary:The family Chlamydiaceae is comprised of obligate intracellular bacteria, some of which are significant pathogens of humans and domestic animals. Magellanic penguins ( Spheniscus magellanicus ) are susceptible to Chlamydia psittaci outbreaks in captivity, and serological surveys detected antibodies against C. psittaci (or antigenically similar organisms) in wild populations of this species. To investigate the occurrence of Chlamydiaceae in wild Magellanic penguins, 167 cloacal swabs were collected from apparently healthy individuals at four breeding colonies along the coast of Chubut, Argentina. Real-time PCR revealed the presence of DNA from Chlamydiaceae -like bacteria in 61 cloacal swabs (36.5%). Detection did not correlate to nutritional status or to meaningful hematological abnormalities. Isolation in monkey kidney cells was unsuccessful, but DNA sequences for the 16S–23S rRNA region were obtained from one sample. Phylogenetic analysis showed a close relationship to unidentified Chlamydiaceae -like bacteria found in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarcticus ) in Antarctica and seagulls in France and the Bering Sea, and to Chlamydiifrater spp. isolated from flamingos in France. Further studies are necessary to clarify the taxonomy and investigate the epidemiology, pathogenicity, and zoonotic potential of this group of Chlamydiaceae -like bacteria.

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