Chlamydia pecorum gastrointestinal tract infection associations with urogenital tract infections in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus).
BACKGROUND:Chlamydia infects multiple sites within hosts, including the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In certain hosts, gastrointestinal infection is linked to treatment avoidance and self-infection at disease susceptible sites. GIT C. pecorum has been detected in livestock and koalas, however GIT p...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2018-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6211709?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1819231226447265792 |
|---|---|
| author | Samuel Phillips Amy Robbins Joanne Loader Jonathan Hanger Rosemary Booth Martina Jelocnik Adam Polkinghorne Peter Timms |
| author_facet | Samuel Phillips Amy Robbins Joanne Loader Jonathan Hanger Rosemary Booth Martina Jelocnik Adam Polkinghorne Peter Timms |
| author_sort | Samuel Phillips |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BACKGROUND:Chlamydia infects multiple sites within hosts, including the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In certain hosts, gastrointestinal infection is linked to treatment avoidance and self-infection at disease susceptible sites. GIT C. pecorum has been detected in livestock and koalas, however GIT prevalence rates within the koala are yet to be established. METHODS:Paired conjunctival, urogenital and rectal samples from 33 koalas were screened for C. pecorum and C. pecorum plasmid using 16S rRNA and CDS5-specific quantitative PCR assays, respectively. Amplicon sequencing of 359 bp ompA fragment was used to identify site-specific genotypes. RESULTS:The overall C. pecorum prevalence collectively (healthy and clinically diseased koalas) was 51.5%, 57.6% and 42.4% in urogenital, conjunctival and gastrointestinal sites, respectively. Concurrent urogenital and rectal Chlamydia was identified in 14 koalas, with no cases of GIT only Chlamydia shedding. The ompA genotype G dominated the GIT positive samples, and genotypes A and E' were dominant in urogenital tract (UGT) positive samples. Increases in C. pecorum plasmid per C. pecorum load (detected by PCR) showed clustering in the clinically diseased koala group (as assessed by scatter plot analysis). There was also a low correlation between plasmid positivity and C. pecorum infected animals at any site, with a prevalence of 47% UGT, 36% rectum and 40% faecal pellet. CONCLUSIONS:GIT C. pecorum PCR positivity suggests that koala GIT C. pecorum infections are common and occur regularly in animals with concurrent genital tract infections. GIT dominant genotypes were identified and do not appear to be related to plasmid positivity. Preliminary results indicated a possible association between C. pecorum plasmid load and clinical UGT disease. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T11:41:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d6474a0821754b6f82664b3c0f1399c5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T11:41:36Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-d6474a0821754b6f82664b3c0f1399c52022-12-21T17:48:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032018-01-011311e020647110.1371/journal.pone.0206471Chlamydia pecorum gastrointestinal tract infection associations with urogenital tract infections in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus).Samuel PhillipsAmy RobbinsJoanne LoaderJonathan HangerRosemary BoothMartina JelocnikAdam PolkinghornePeter TimmsBACKGROUND:Chlamydia infects multiple sites within hosts, including the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In certain hosts, gastrointestinal infection is linked to treatment avoidance and self-infection at disease susceptible sites. GIT C. pecorum has been detected in livestock and koalas, however GIT prevalence rates within the koala are yet to be established. METHODS:Paired conjunctival, urogenital and rectal samples from 33 koalas were screened for C. pecorum and C. pecorum plasmid using 16S rRNA and CDS5-specific quantitative PCR assays, respectively. Amplicon sequencing of 359 bp ompA fragment was used to identify site-specific genotypes. RESULTS:The overall C. pecorum prevalence collectively (healthy and clinically diseased koalas) was 51.5%, 57.6% and 42.4% in urogenital, conjunctival and gastrointestinal sites, respectively. Concurrent urogenital and rectal Chlamydia was identified in 14 koalas, with no cases of GIT only Chlamydia shedding. The ompA genotype G dominated the GIT positive samples, and genotypes A and E' were dominant in urogenital tract (UGT) positive samples. Increases in C. pecorum plasmid per C. pecorum load (detected by PCR) showed clustering in the clinically diseased koala group (as assessed by scatter plot analysis). There was also a low correlation between plasmid positivity and C. pecorum infected animals at any site, with a prevalence of 47% UGT, 36% rectum and 40% faecal pellet. CONCLUSIONS:GIT C. pecorum PCR positivity suggests that koala GIT C. pecorum infections are common and occur regularly in animals with concurrent genital tract infections. GIT dominant genotypes were identified and do not appear to be related to plasmid positivity. Preliminary results indicated a possible association between C. pecorum plasmid load and clinical UGT disease.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6211709?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Samuel Phillips Amy Robbins Joanne Loader Jonathan Hanger Rosemary Booth Martina Jelocnik Adam Polkinghorne Peter Timms Chlamydia pecorum gastrointestinal tract infection associations with urogenital tract infections in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). PLoS ONE |
| title | Chlamydia pecorum gastrointestinal tract infection associations with urogenital tract infections in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). |
| title_full | Chlamydia pecorum gastrointestinal tract infection associations with urogenital tract infections in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). |
| title_fullStr | Chlamydia pecorum gastrointestinal tract infection associations with urogenital tract infections in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). |
| title_full_unstemmed | Chlamydia pecorum gastrointestinal tract infection associations with urogenital tract infections in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). |
| title_short | Chlamydia pecorum gastrointestinal tract infection associations with urogenital tract infections in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). |
| title_sort | chlamydia pecorum gastrointestinal tract infection associations with urogenital tract infections in the koala phascolarctos cinereus |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6211709?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samuelphillips chlamydiapecorumgastrointestinaltractinfectionassociationswithurogenitaltractinfectionsinthekoalaphascolarctoscinereus AT amyrobbins chlamydiapecorumgastrointestinaltractinfectionassociationswithurogenitaltractinfectionsinthekoalaphascolarctoscinereus AT joanneloader chlamydiapecorumgastrointestinaltractinfectionassociationswithurogenitaltractinfectionsinthekoalaphascolarctoscinereus AT jonathanhanger chlamydiapecorumgastrointestinaltractinfectionassociationswithurogenitaltractinfectionsinthekoalaphascolarctoscinereus AT rosemarybooth chlamydiapecorumgastrointestinaltractinfectionassociationswithurogenitaltractinfectionsinthekoalaphascolarctoscinereus AT martinajelocnik chlamydiapecorumgastrointestinaltractinfectionassociationswithurogenitaltractinfectionsinthekoalaphascolarctoscinereus AT adampolkinghorne chlamydiapecorumgastrointestinaltractinfectionassociationswithurogenitaltractinfectionsinthekoalaphascolarctoscinereus AT petertimms chlamydiapecorumgastrointestinaltractinfectionassociationswithurogenitaltractinfectionsinthekoalaphascolarctoscinereus |