Chlamydia psittaci: a relevant cause of community-acquired pneumonia in two Dutch hospitals.

Of all hospitalised community-acquired pneumonias (CAPs) only a few are known to be caused by Chlamydia psittaci. Most likely the reported incidence, ranging from of 0% to 2.1%, is an underestimation of the real incidence, since detection of psittacosis is frequently not incorporated in the routine microbiological diagnostics in CAP or serological methods are used

Chlamydophila psittaci infections in The Netherlands

Psittacosis, caused by Chlamydophila psittaci, is a well described but sporadically occurring clinical entity, which mainly presents as community-acquired pneumonia. Diagnosis used to be relatively difficult. However, new molecular techniques, such as real-time polymerase chain reaction, increased detection of cases. Furthermore, genotyping of the ompA gene can be used as a tool to trace the possible source of an outbreak or to link a specific bird to a particular patien

Een patiënt met een longabces, primair behandeld met drainage en aanvullend met antibiotica

A 45-year-old woman presented herself with coughing, nocturnal sweating, weight loss, and chest pain, left laterally. In the previous 5 months she had been treated twice with antibiotics due to a suspected pneumonia. With the help of a CT scan, 2 subpleural lung abscesses were diagnosed. The primary treatment was CT-guided drainage, as a result of which the largest abscess was emptied and a microbiological diagnosis could be established. Subsequently, the patient made a quick recovery with the help of specific antibiotics. It might be better to drain lung abscesses, especially subpleural ones, at an early stage rather than wait for the results of a trial treatment with antibiotic

Genotyping of Chlamydophila psittaci in human samples

Chlamydophila (formerly Chlamydia) psittaci genotypes A, B, C, and a new genotype most similar to the 6BC type strain were found in 10 humans with psittacosis by outer membrane protein A gene sequencing. Genotypes B (n = 3) and C (n = 1) are endemic in nonpsittacine European birds. These birds may represent an important part of the zoonotic reservoi

Prevalence of Chlamydophila psittaci in Fecal Droppings from Feral Pigeons in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

In many cities, the feral rock dove is an abundant bird species that can harbor Chlamydophila psittaci. We determined the prevalence and genotype of C. psittaci in fresh fecal samples from feral pigeons in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The prevalence was 7.9% overall (26/331; 95% confidence interval, 5 to 11). Ten genotyped PCR-positive samples were all genotype B

No evidence for an association of ocular adnexal lymphoma with Chlamydia psittaci in a cohort of patients from the Netherlands

Extra-nodal marginal zone B cell lymphomas (MZBCLs) of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues (MALT) arise at sites of chronic antigenic stimulation due to organ-specific autoimmunity or infections, like Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic gastritis and Borrelia burgdorferi dermatitis. Recently, conflicting data have been published regarding a possible association between Chlamydia psittaci and ocular adnexal MZBCL. In the present study, we analyzed a cohort of ocular adnexal MZBLs from the Netherlands for the presence of C. psittaci DNA. We found no evidence for the presence of C. psittaci DNA in any of the tumor samples studied. Our data do not support a role for C. psittaci in the pathogenesis of ocular adnexal lymphomas in patients from the Netherland

Chlamydia psittaci : a relevant cause of community-acquired pneumonia in two Dutch hospitals

BACKGROUND: Of all hospitalised community-acquired pneumonias (CAPs) only a few are known to be caused by Chlamydia psittaci. Most likely the reported incidence, ranging from of 0% to 2.1%, is an underestimation of the real incidence, since detection of psittacosis is frequently not incorporated in the routine microbiological diagnostics in CAP or serological methods are used. METHODS: C. psittaci real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was routinely performed on the sputum of 147 patients hospitalised with CAP, who participated in a clinical trial conducted in two Dutch hospitals. In 119/147 patients the paired complement fixation test (CFT) was also performed for the presence of Chlamydia antibodies. Positive CFTs were investigated by micro- Immunofluorescence for psittacosis specificity. Case criteria for psittacosis were a positive PCR or a fourfold rise of antibody titre in CFT confirmed by micro- Immunofluorescence. Furthermore, we searched for parameters that could discriminate psittacosis from CAPs with other aetiology. RESULTS: 7/147 (4.8%) patients were diagnosed with psittacosis: six with PCR and one patient with a negative PCR, but with CFT confirmed by micro- Immunofluorescence. Psittacosis patients had had a higher temperature (median 39.6 vs. 38.2 °C;) but lower white blood cell count (median 7.4 vs. 13.7 x 109/l) on admission compared with other CAP patients. CONCLUSION: In this study, C. psittaci as CAP-causing pathogen was much higher than previously reported. To detect psittacosis, PCR was performed on all CAP patients for whom a sputum sample was available. For clinical use, PCR is a fast method and sputum availability allows genotyping; additional serology can optimise epidemiological investigations