Molecular assessment of Chlamydia psittaci and Circovirus in psittacines from a CETAS in Bahia, Brazil

Mistreatment and unsanitary conditions to which trafficked animals are subjected provide an environment conducive to the proliferation and dissemination of pathogens. The Centros de Triagem de Animais Silvestres (CETAS - Wild Animal Screening Centers), which receive trafficked animals, aim to release them back into the wild, thus making the investigation of pathogens essential. The objective of this study was to conduct an epidemiological study of infections by Chlamydia psittaci and Circovirus in psittacines from wildlife trafficking housed at a CETAS in Bahia. Cloacal swab and blood samples were collected from 135 psittacines, both residents and newly arrived in quarantine, housed at the CETAS in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia. The presence of pathogens was determined by conventional PCR. The PCRs consisted of amplifying the opmA gene and ORF1 to detect C. psittaci and Circovirus, respectively. For C. psittaci, three (2.2%) animals were diagnosed as positive, then treated with antibiotics, retested, and included in the CETAS population after testing negative for the bacterium. Among the 135 psittacines evaluated, 22 (16%) showed feathering abnormalities despite testing negative for Circovirus. This research was the first epidemiological survey of Circovirus infection in psittacines in Bahia and improved the sanitary safety of wildlife release programs.