Journal article
Identification of unusual Chlamydia pecorum genotypes in Victorian koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) and clinical variables associated with infection
AR Legione, JLS Patterson, PL Whiteley, J Amery-Gale, M Lynch, L Haynes, JR Gilkerson, A Polkinghorne, JM Devlin, FM Sansom
Journal of Medical Microbiology | MICROBIOLOGY SOC | Published : 2016
DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000241
Abstract
Chlamydia pecorum infection is a threat to the health of free-ranging koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in Australia. Utilizing an extensive sample archive we determined the prevalence of C. pecorum in koalas within six regions of Victoria, Australia. The ompA genotypes of the detected C. pecorum were characterized to better understand the epidemiology of this pathogen in Victorian koalas. Despite many studies in northern Australia (i.e. Queensland and New South Wales), prior Chlamydia studies in Victorian koalas are limited. We detected C. pecorum in 125/820 (15 %) urogenital swabs, but in only one ocular swab. Nucleotide sequencing of the molecular marker C. pecorum ompA revealed that the ma..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance with collection of samples and clinical information by staff and students of the University of Melbourne, Wildlife Health Surveillance Victoria, Zoos Victoria, Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and Parks Victoria. We also thank Mark Stevenson for advice and assistance with statistics. A. L. is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award. Funding was provided for this research by the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, the Vizard Foundation and the Albert George and Nancy Caroline Youngman Trust.