Chlamydia Species and Related Risk Factors in Poultry in North-Western Italy: Possible Bird-to-Human Transmission for C. gallinacea

Monica Marchino, Francesca Rizzo, Paola Barzanti, Oriana Anna Sparasci, Paolo Bottino, Nadia Vicari, Sara Rigamonti, Silvia Braghin, Rachid Aaziz, Fabien Vorimore, Giuseppe Ru, Karine Laroucau and Maria Lucia Mandola
Additional contact information
Monica Marchino: Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Aosta Valley (IZSPLV), Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Francesca Rizzo: Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Aosta Valley (IZSPLV), Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Paola Barzanti: Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Aosta Valley (IZSPLV), Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Oriana Anna Sparasci: Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Aosta Valley (IZSPLV), Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Paolo Bottino: S.C. Microbiology and Virology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria “Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino”, 10126 Turin, Italy
Nadia Vicari: National Reference Laboratory for Chlamydioses, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardia and Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), 27100 Pavia, Italy
Sara Rigamonti: National Reference Laboratory for Chlamydioses, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardia and Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), 27100 Pavia, Italy
Silvia Braghin: S.C. Sanità Animale, Dipartimento Di Prevenzione, ASL CN1, Via Carlo Boggio 12, 12100 Cuneo, Italy
Rachid Aaziz: Laboratory for Animal Health, Bacterial Zoonosis Unit, ANSES Maisons-Alfort, Paris-Est University, 94706 Paris, France
Fabien Vorimore: Laboratory for Animal Health, Bacterial Zoonosis Unit, ANSES Maisons-Alfort, Paris-Est University, 94706 Paris, France
Giuseppe Ru: Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Aosta Valley (IZSPLV), Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Karine Laroucau: Laboratory for Animal Health, Bacterial Zoonosis Unit, ANSES Maisons-Alfort, Paris-Est University, 94706 Paris, France
Maria Lucia Mandola: Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Aosta Valley (IZSPLV), Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-20

Abstract: Chlamydiaceae are obligatory intracellular bacteria causing acute and chronic diseases in animals and humans worldwide, with recently discovered species with a still unclear pathogenic potential (i.e., C. gallinacea ). In Italy, Chlamydiaceae infections are underestimated both in animals and humans. To estimate the prevalence of Chlamydiaceae species in poultry and occupationally exposed workers on farm, a cross-sectional study was carried out in north-western Italy. A total of 2063 samples from 83 commercial and 31 backyard poultry farms were analysed using real-time PCRs for Chlamydiaceae screening and species typing. Chlamydiaceae were detected in 23 farms, with a herd prevalence of 20.2% (95%CI: 13.2–28.7), higher in backyard farms (38.7%; 95%CI: 21.8–57.8) compared to commercial ones (13.3%; 95%CI: 6.8–22.5). C. gallinacea was found in 18 chicken farms, both commercial and backyard, and C. psittaci only in 3 backyard farms. Exposure to wild birds and factors related to biosecurity resulted the main risk factors associated with Chlamydia positivity. Out of the 113 sputum samples collected from farmers, 16 tested positive to Chlamydiaceae, with a prevalence of 14.2% (95%CI: 8, 3–22). To the best of our knowledge, for the first time at international level, C. gallinacea was detected in humans with farmer positivity associated with farm infectious status, suggesting a bird-to-human transmission.

Keywords: Chlamydiaceae; Chlamydia gallinacea; Italy; poultry; risk factors; One Health; Chlamydia psittaci; zoonosis; bird-human transmission (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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