Reemergence of the Murine Bacterial Pathogen Chlamydia muridarum in Research Mouse Colonies

Chlamydia muridarum (Cm) was detected in 2 colonies of mice with lymphoplasmacytic pulmonary infiltrates by using PCR and immunohistochemistry. This discovery was unexpected, as Cm infection had not been reported in laboratory mice since the 1940s. A Cm specific PCR assay was developed and testing implemented for the resident colonies of 8 vivaria from 3 academic institutions, 58 incoming mouse shipments from 39 academic institutions, and mice received from 55 commercial breeding colonies (4 vendors). To estimate Cm's global prevalence in research colonies, a database containing 11,387 metagenomic fecal microbiota samples from 120 institutions and a cohort of 900 diagnostic samples from 96 institutions were examined. Results indicate significant prevalence among academic institutions, with Cm detected in 63% of soiled bedding sentinels from 3 institutions; 33% of incoming mouse shipments from 39 academic institutions; 14% of 120 institutions submitting microbiota samples; and 16% of the diagnostic sample cohort. All samples from commercial breeding colonies were negative. In addition, naïve NOD. Cg-Prkdc^scidIl2rg^tm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mice exposed to Cm-shedding mice and/or their soiled bedding developed clinical disease at 21 to 28 d after exposure. These mice had a moderate-to-severe histiocytic and neutro- philic bronchointerstitial pneumonia, with their respiratory epithelium demonstrating inclusions, chlamydial major outer membrane protein immunostaining, and hybridization with a Cm reference sequence (GenBank accession no. U68436). Cm was isolated from lungs, cecum, and feces of a Cm-infected NSG mouse by using HeLa 229 cells. The considerable prevalence of Cm is likely due to widespread global interinstitutional distribution of unique mouse strains and failure to recognize that some of these mice were from enzootically infected colonies. Given that experimental Cm colonization of mice results in a robust immune response and, on occasion, pathology, natural infection may confound experimental results. Therefore, Cm should be excluded and eradicated from enzootically infected mouse colonies.