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PubMed1998

Characterization of the systemic disease and ocular signs induced by experimental infection with Chlamydia psittaci in cats.

In addition to the commonly reported ocular signs, Chlamydia psittaci infection of kittens resulted in fever, lethargy, lameness and reduction in weight gain following ocular instillation of virulent organisms. The appearance of these systemic signs was late with respect to the appearance of ocular symptoms and occurred simultaneously with increasing levels of chlamydia-specific IgG. Measurement of acute phase reactants and IL-6 in plasma indicated that both became elevated concurrent with or slightly after the appearance of fever and remained elevated after the fever began to resolve. Preliminary data also indicated that infectious C. psittaci was present in the blood stream during this time period. The results of ocular instillation of three different levels of C. psittaci (10(3.8), 10(2.8) and 10(1.5) TCID50) indicated that the frequency of infection and the severity of ocular signs were diminished in the group receiving the lowest dose. However, the magnitude of systemic disease was similar in all animals which exhibited clinical signs, irrespective of the dose administered. The immune response to infection included elementary body (EB)-specific lymphocyte proliferation as well as the development of EB-specific IgG and IgM antibodies. The predominant antibody response was to a 45 kDa protein, the major outer membrane protein (MOMP), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a 58 kDa doublet and 32 and 16-19 kDa proteins.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Experimental Chlamydia psittaci serotype 1 enteric infection in gnotobiotic piglets: histopathological, immunohistochemical and microbiological findings.

The enteric pathogenicity of the ovine C. psittaci serotype 1 isolate S26/3 was assessed using a litter of gnotobiotic piglets. In one group, eight piglets were inoculated at 3 days of age; at 10 days, two of these were re-inoculated. In a second group, six animals were mock-inoculated at 3 days of age as negative controls; subsequently, at 10 days, three of these piglets were inoculated with C. psittaci. The animals were observed for clinical signs, killed and necropsied sequentially between 4 and 17 days of age. At necropsy, specimens were collected for histopathology, immunohistochemistry and serology. Clinical manifestations consisted of sporadic slight softening of faeces observed between 8 and 12 days post inoculation (d.p.i.) in pigs inoculated at 3 days of age and between 4 and 6 d.p.i. in those inoculated at day 10. Histopathological changes were minimal and inconsistent and occurred almost exclusively in the small intestine in pigs of 15 days of age and older; they consisted of a slight shortening of villi, of a small number of tongue-shaped villi and of villous fusions. Immunohistochemistry revealed small numbers of chlamydial inclusions in the small intestinal enterocytes of only five pigs, all killed within 5 d.p.i. An ELISA run on faecal samples collected daily after inoculation from six of the pigs showed that chlamydial antigen was excreted in the faeces. In pigs inoculated at 3 days, chlamydial antigen was detected inconsistently before, and consistently after 9 d.p.i. Pigs inoculated at 10 days excreted antigen consistently after inoculation until the end of their observation period (8 d.p.i.). Infective chlamydiae were detected from the faeces of inoculated piglets using Vero cell cultures. Sera of all pigs were negative for anti-chlamydial antibodies using a complement fixation test. In conclusion, enteric pathogenicity of C. psittaci serotype 1 in a litter of gnotobiotic piglets proved minimal. The results, therefore, indicate that serotype 1 C. psittaci is not likely to cause enteric disease in conventionally reared pigs. Nevertheless, a potential role of swine in the epidemiology of this agent should be considered with regard to spread of Chlamydia to other species.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

AFLP allows the identification of genomic markers of ruminant Chlamydia psittaci strains useful for typing and epidemiological studies.

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), a novel method for molecular typing, was evaluated for its ability to differentiate among a group of highly related Chlamydia psittaci strains isolated from ruminants and belonging to serotype 1. A total set of 12 strains were included in this study, 10 strains inducing abortion in ruminants and 2 strains from faecal samples. For the AFLP analysis, the total purified genomic DNA of each strain was submitted to a one-step digestion-ligation reaction for 3 h at 37 degrees C. DNA was digested with a single restriction endonuclease Mspl and ligated to specially constructed adapters. Subsequently, restricted fragments were selectively amplified under high stringency PCR conditions using primers complementary to the adapters. Amplified products were then resolved on agarose gel electrophoresis. The method is easy to perform, fast and reproducible. AFLP enabled characterization of C. psittaci strains at the infra-subspecific level. Thus, AFLP led to the identification of a cluster of strains on the basis of their AFLP patterns, constituted by French chlamydial isolates. It also permitted differentiation among strains in relation to host origin and to clinical syndromes. These data confirmed the highly discriminative power of AFLP towards the differentiation of closely related ruminant C. psittaci strains. The analysis will need to be applied to more samples to check the usefulness of AFLP markers in epidemiological and evolutionary studies.

Abortion, Veterinary↗
PubMed1992

Purification of Chlamydia psittaci antigen by affinity chromatography on polymyxin B agarose for use in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

The purification of cell wall antigens of Chlamydia psittaci by affinity chromatography on polymyxin B agarose is described. Chlamydial cell wall antigens were prepared using different methods: heat treatment, ultrasonication and sodium deoxycholate treatment. The antigens were subsequently purified by gel chromatography. The highest amount of cell wall antigens was obtained by heat treatment of the chlamydiae at 90 degrees C and pH 8.5. The purified antigens showed molecular weights of 450 kDa to 700 kDa. Treatment of heat-extracted antigens with trypsin, pronase E or proteinase K did not destroy antigenic activity or alter the molecular weight. On the other hand, potassium metaperiodate treatment led to a significant decrease of both. Chlamydial cell wall antigens extracted by heat treatment and purified by affinity chromatography were used as ELISA-antigen. Using this ELISA and the complement fixation test (CFT), a total of 576 bovine sera was tested. 92 of these sera reacted positively in the ELISA and only 13 in the CFT. In addition, the prepared ELISA was compared with a commercial ELISA. 12 out of 15 sera tested were positive when using the ELISA described and 10 were positive when using the commercial ELISA.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Evaluation of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Chlamydia psittaci in abortion material from ewes.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was evaluated as a diagnostic tool for detection of Chlamydia (C.) psittaci in abortion material from 40 ewes. For this purpose, PCR results of 87 samples were compared with direct microscopic identification after chemical staining, cell culture isolation and a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The value for sensitivity as compared to cell culture was 97.7% whereas the specificity-value was calculated to be 84.1%.

Abortion, Veterinary↗
PubMed1992

Monoclonal antibody based capture ELISA/ELIFA for the detection of Chlamydia psittaci in veterinary clinical specimens.

A capture ELISA/ELIFA system based on monoclonal capture and biotinylated monoclonal detection antibody with specificity for an epitope on chlamydial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is described. The assay is fast, specific and detects a minimum dose of approximately 2000 chlamydial particles (C. psittaci). Unlike other commercially available test kits, it comprises a proteinase K treatment to exclude non-specific binding of antibodies to Fc receptors. In contrast to the sophisticated and cumbersome isolation procedures, even non-specialized laboratories may use this assay system for the investigation of clinical samples of different origin for the presence of C. psittaci within a short period of time. Due to the genus specificity of the monoclonal antibody used C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae can be detected as well.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Experimental studies of chlamydiosis in Japanese quails.

Two-week-old Japanese quails were infected intratracheally with six strains of Chlamydia psittaci isolated from calf pneumonia, swine pneumonia, goat abortion, sheep abortion, kid enteritis, and calf conjunctivitis, respectively. The Japanese quails from infected and control groups were closely observed for clinical symptoms. In order to examine the gross and microscopic lesions, quails in each group were sacrificed at 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21 and 30 days post infection. Alterations induced by pneumonic strains were more severe than those found in abortion isolates whereas the isolate of conjunctivitis failed to induce any lesion in the quail. Chlamydia psittaci was successfully recovered from lungs, spleen and intestinal contents of sacrificed quails. Calf pneumonia and goat abortion strains could be propagated in quails for a longer period (30 days), than in swine pneumonia, sheep abortion, kid enteritis (15 days each) and calf conjunctivitis isolates (7 days). The control quails were normal and no isolation could be made from them.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Infection due to Chlamydia trachomatis in pregnancy and the newborn.

Bacteria in the genus Chlamydia comprise three species, C. trachomatis, C. psittaci and C. pneumoniae. C. trachomatis infection is common, varying in prevalence in women from 0% to 37%. In the United States, the prevalence rate is estimated currently to be about 5%. Pregnancy may predispose to an increased chance of infection with C. trachomatis, through physiological immunosuppression and/or cervical ectopy. Maternal antibodies to C. trachomatis provide limited, if any, protection for the newborn. C. trachomatis causes pelvic inflammatory disease--which can result in tubal infertility or ectopic pregnancy and postabortal or late postpartum endometritis. It may also cause chorioamnionitis and premature delivery of the fetus. The incidence of vertical transmission of chlamydiae from mother to baby varies; if the mother is untreated, 20-50% of the newborns will develop conjunctivitis and 10-20% will develop pneumonia. C. psittaci infection in pregnancy is rare, but can cause spontaneous abortion. Whether C. pneumoniae infection in pregnancy has any influence on the outcome has not been ascertained. C. trachomatis can be detected by one or more of several methods; enzyme immunoassays are the least sensitive, but the most widely used. Screening for C. trachomatis in pregnancy may be of benefit in areas of high prevalence, and is generally regarded as being cost-effective if the prevalence rate is more than 5%. Pregnant women are best treated with erythromycin, 250 mg four times daily for 7 days. This will prevent infection of the newborn in more than 90% of cases. The infected neonate should be treated with erythromycin, given systemically and also with topical tetracycline if conjunctivitis is present.

Chlamydia Infections↗
PubMed1998

The production of EAE-free lambs from infected dams using multiple ovulation and embryo transfer.

This investigation aimed to ascertain whether embryo transfer was a feasible method of breaking the disease cycle caused by Chlamydia psittaci (ovis). Ten naive ewe lambs were inoculated orally with the T76 and G188 isolates of C. psittaci (ovis) in late pregnancy. Five animals which sero-converted to the complement fixation test (CFT) were used as donors for a multiple ovulation and embryo transfer programme. Three ewes excreted chlamydiae at parturition 1 year after inoculation, with one animal exhibiting a CFT titre indicative of clinical disease. Twelve embryos collected from these three donors and transferred to seven disease-free recipients survived and were not infected, nor were their recipient dams. It therefore appears possible to infect ewe lambs during the final stages of pregnancy with the disease manifesting itself during the following breeding season. Embryos collected from infected animals do not appear to transmit the chlamydia causing enzootic abortion.

Abortion, Septic↗
PubMed1999

The clinical efficacy of topical and systemic therapy for the treatment of feline ocular chlamydiosis.

Twenty-four specific-pathogen-free-derived cats aged four to 11 months were challenged by ocular application of a field isolate of Chlamydia psittaci to evaluate the effect of topical and systemic therapy on the course of disease. The cats were monitored for 35 days post-challenge, with severity of clinical signs being measured using a scoring system, and ocular shedding of the organism monitored by culture of conjunctival swabs. All cats developed active C psittaci infection, and after 7 days the cats were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: Group P (placebo) was given twice-daily ophthalmic tear-replacement ointment; group F was given twice-daily topical 1% fusidic acid ophthalmic viscous drops; group C was given twice-daily topical 1% chlortetracycline ophthalmic ointment; and group D was given doxycycline at 10 mg/kg daily per os in addition to twice-daily topical 1% fusidic acid ophthalmic ointment. Within 24 h of commencement of therapy, group D had significantly lower median clinical scores than group P, and with the exception of day 16, this trend was maintained throughout the observation period. Median clinical scores of cats in group F were not appreciably different to those in group P, whereas the median scores of cats in group C generally fell between those of groups P and D. The median duration of C psittaci shedding was 10 and 15 days for groups D and C respectively, but four of the six cats in groups F and P were still shedding organisms at the end of the study (day 35). In this study, systemic therapy with doxycycline proved superior to topical therapy in the treatment of feline chlamydiosis.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2000

A possible association between Chlamydiae psittacci infection and temporal arteritis.

Some arguments are in favor of the role of Chlamydia in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and some vasculitis. Illustrating this possible relation, we report the case of a patient developing consecutively a Chlamydia psittacci infection and a temporal arteritis. A 73-year-old woman, with no significant medical history, was hospitalized for constitutional symptoms. Three weeks before, she had described fever and sore throat of two days' duration. Since that time, she had remained exhausted and developed a mild intermittent claudication of the jaws. Clinical examination was poor. A biological inflammatory syndrome was noticed. Chest X-ray revealed bilateral interstitial opacities. The titer of anti-C. psittaci antibodies was significant (positive 1g G at 1/2048). Soon after initiation of doxycycline, a temporal arteritis biopsy was performed, due to the persistence of clinical symptoms and high inflammatory syndrome, conclusive for the diagnosis of temporal arteritis. Corticotherapy was added to antibiotic therapy, resulting in the decrease of inflammatory syndrome and an improvement in the general status of the patient. X-ray opacities decreased in three weeks. Serological control after three months showed a decrease of the titer of anti-C. psittacci antibodies to 1/256, confirming the initial diagnosis of Chlamydia pneumopathy. Our observation could provide one more argument for the role of bacteria-like Chlamydia in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. Prospective seroepidemiological and molecular biology studies could allow us to clarify the association between Chlamydia infections and inflammatory vasculitis-like temporal arteritis.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1984

Psittacosis/ornithosis in Cambridgeshire 1975-1983.

In a population of approximately 300 000 there were 150 illnesses attributable to chlamydial infection from January 1975 to June 1983 and nearly all were presumed due to Chlamydia psittaci. Diagnosis was based on the complement-fixation (CF) test, the disadvantages of which are discussed, especially anamnestic responses. There were 73 cases of pneumonia, 37 febrile respiratory infections, 35 miscellaneous conditions and five asymptomatic seropositive contacts. The annual number of cases was lowest in 1976 (3) and increased to a maximum in 1980 (28) followed by a sustained high level. No seasonal variation was observed. A presumptive bird source was present in only 17% and detailed consideration of cases in one rural practice suggests that the infection may possibly be more endemic than zoonotic.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

A study of human respiratory tract chlamydial infections in Cambridgeshire 1986-88.

Human respiratory tract chlamydial infections have been studied in Cambridgeshire for many years, but until recently we have been unable to distinguish between infection with Chlamydia psittaci or Chlamydia pneumoniae (TWAR). In this study, we have employed the micro-immunofluorescence (micro-IF) test for this purpose and to look for the relative incidence of C. psittaci and C. pneumoniae infections in Cambridgeshire. Among 50 patients with community-acquired respiratory tract symptoms whose serum samples had Chlamydia complement fixation test titres greater than or equal to 64, 25 had evidence of recent C. psittaci or C. pneumoniae infection. Nineteen (76%) of the 25 patients had evidence of recent C. psittaci infection and of these 16 (84%) had recently had contact with birds. Six patients (24%) had evidence of recent C. pneumoniae infection, and of these, only two (33%) had recently had contact with birds. While C. psittaci was grown from several of the birds associated with human C. psittaci infection, it was not cultured from any of the birds in contact with the two human C. pneumoniae cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

A prolonged outbreak of ornithosis in duck processors.

In 1985 an outbreak of ornithosis affected 13 of 80 (16%) workers in a duck-processing plant. New employees were three times more likely to become cases than established employees. The highest attack rate was in those on the production line. Following the outbreak, an occupational health scheme was set up to monitor the health of new recruits to the company. Serological evidence of recent infection was demonstrated in 18 of 37 (49%) new employees tested in the first 3 months of employment. Five (14%) also had clinical evidence of ornithosis. Veterinary investigation of the ducks demonstrated a high proportion with asymptomatic chlamydial infection. It is suggested that ornithosis may be more common in duck processors than is currently supposed. Strategies to reduce occupational risks are discussed.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1988

Chlamydial antibodies in farmers in north-west England.

Because of recent reports of abortion in farmers' wives following infection with ovine strains of Chlamydia psittaci during pregnancy, the distribution of chlamydial antibodies was studied in rural populations in north-west England, where endemic chlamydial infection with abortion is common in sheep. Immunoperoxidase assays with C. trachomatis and ovine C. psittaci showed no significant differences in either the frequency or titres of antibodies between sheep farmers and other types of farmer or non-farming adults living in the same areas. The frequency and titres of antibodies in farmers' wives were no greater than in farmers, and were unrelated to their previous obstetric history or type of farming. Overall, 62/255 (24%) of this rural population had antibody detected by C. trachomatis antigen and only 30/255 (13%) detected by C. psittaci antigen. The possible significance of these findings is discussed. This survey does not suggest that the risk of infection with C. psittaci is especially high in people working with sheep, but the complications following infection during pregnancy deserve the specific instructions that have been given to pregnant women to avoid exposure, especially during lambing, in farming and veterinary work.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Clinical conditions associated with positive complement fixation serology for Chlamydiae.

The hospital records of 242 patients with diagnostic chlamydial complement fixation (CF) titres (seroconversion and/or titre greater than or equal to 64) found among 60,000 patients screened for suspected viral illnesses were reviewed to study the clinical conditions associated with positive CF serology for Chlamydiae. After excluding typical genital C. trachomatis infections, the majority of the remainder were considered to represent C. psittaci infections. Respiratory symptoms were the most common clinical manifestations of chlamydial infections detectable by CF, but the majority (58%) of the patients did not have pneumonia. Abdominal, neurological as well as urinary tract symptoms were common. Cutaneous, joint, cardiac, genital and ocular manifestations were also noted. Fever (greater than or equal to 38.5 degrees C) was present in 62% of the patients. The ESR was raised (greater than or equal to 20 mm/h) in the majority of the patients (83%), but the leucocyte count was usually (86%) within normal limits. Because the clinical spectrum of C. psittaci infections is apparently broad, serological tests for detecting antibodies to C. psittaci (e.g. CF) should be used widely in various clinical conditions and not for patients with pneumonia alone.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

PCR detection of Chlamydia psittaci in faecal samples from passerine birds in Sweden.

To investigate to what extent wild passerine birds are carriers of Chlamydia psittaci, 312 faecal samples from 18 bird species were collected. Using the PCR technique and subsequent DNA sequencing, C. psittaci DNA was demonstrated in faecal samples from 9 (2.9%) birds of 6 different species. Sera from 65 bird-ringers, highly exposed to wild birds, were tested by microimmunofluorescence assay for the occurrence of IgG and IgM antibodies to C. psittaci. No such antibodies were found. This results indicate that a significant proportion of wild passerine birds are carriers of C. psittaci, but rarely infectious to humans.

Amino Acid Sequence↗