New insights into chlamydial zoonoses

Abstract

Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens of humans. Infections in animals are also widespread with some species, such as Chlamydia psittaci, long recognised as a serious threat to human health. Critical to the public health response of any zoonotic disease outbreaks is reliable and up-to-date information on the epidemiology of the target pathogen. Aided by advances in the use of quantitative PCR, molecular typing and culture-independent genomic studies, significant recent work has highlighted an expanded diversity and host range of chlamydial pathogens in animals. New and unexpected cases of chlamydial zoonoses have now been recently documented in Australia and elsewhere, emphasising the importance of multi-disciplinary 'One Health' collaboration and the use of standardised methods to detect and characterise chlamydial pathogens in humans and animals.