engleski

Detection of Chlamydiaceae in different species of chelonians

Chlamydial species are increasingly recognized as infective and potentially pathogenic organisms in reptiles. Different types of symptoms were described in reptiles with Chlamydia sp. infections, usually with inflammatory lesions mostly in the spleen, heart, lungs and liver. Chlamydia can be isolated from clinically asymptomatic reptiles as well. To check for the presence of Chlamydia, 51 choanal and cloacal swabs were taken from different free-living and captive chelonians, 30 red eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), 6 marginated tortoises (Testudo marginata) and 15 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) during the routine health check up. The DNA was extracted by using QIAmp DNA Mini Kit (QIAGEN, Germany) and examined by Chlamydiaceae-specific Real-time PCR as described by EHRICHT et al. (2006). Positive samples were further examined by species specific Real-time PCR. Partial 16S rRNA genes were further sequenced. In total, 26 samples were found positive by Chlamydiaceae-specific Real-time PCR: 17 from red eared sliders, six from loggerhead sea turtles and three from marginated tortoises. Out of them, two samples from read eared slider were found positive for C. psittaci by species specific RT-PCR. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed the similarity of one sample to the family Waddliaceae (96% identity) and one sample to the family Simkaniaceae (93% identity). Both of these samples were from loggerhead sea turtles. The role of chlamydial species in reptiles is still unclear, so that further investigation of uncharacterised Chlamydia and their impact to both reptile and human health is needed.

Chlamydiaceae ; chelonians, qPCR

nije evidentirano