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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jmm.0.011379-0v1 58/9/1207    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Google Scholar Articles by Harkinezhad, T. Articles by Vanrompay, D. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Harkinezhad, T. Articles by Vanrompay, D. Agricola Articles by Harkinezhad, T. Articles by Vanrompay, D.

Prevalence of Chlamydophila psittaci infections in a human population in contact with domestic and companion birds

Taher Harkinezhad^1,, Kristel Verminnen¹, Marc De Buyzere², Ernst Rietzschel^3,4, Sofie Bekaert¹ and Daisy Vanrompay¹

¹ Ghent University, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

² Heart Center, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

³ Ghent University, Department of Internal Medicine, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

⁴ Ghent University, Department of Public Health, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

Correspondence
Daisy Vanrompay
daisy.vanrompay{at}ugent.be

Received March 27, 2009
Accepted May 12, 2009

Chlamydophila psittaci infections in humans are underestimated. We investigated the occurrence of C. psittaci in a Belgian population of 540 individuals. Data were from a population survey (n=2524) of apparently healthy community-dwelling subjects aged 35–55 years. Pharyngeal swabs and blood were taken. Individuals completed a questionnaire on professional and nonprofessional activities, smoking habits, medical history and contact frequency with different bird species. Swabs were analysed by a C. psittaci-specific and a Chlamydophila pneumoniae-specific PCR. Sera were tested by a recombinant C. psittaci major outer-membrane protein-based ELISA, a C. psittaci whole organism-based ELISA (Serion) and a micro-immunofluorescence test (Focus Diagnostics). Results confirmed our suspicion about the underestimation of psittacosis in Belgium. Psittaciformes and racing pigeons were the main infection source. Women with excessive alcohol intake defined as a mean intake of >2 units daily were more frequently infected than men. We analysed the effect of seropositivity and/or PCR positivity on inflammation (white blood cell count, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fibrinogen). In general, seropositivity showed a trend to slightly higher levels of inflammatory variables (all non-significant), whilst PCR positivity showed a trend to no effect or even lower inflammatory levels.

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