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Chlamydia gallinacea is a recently described bacterial species in a genus known to infect and cause disease in animals and humans. Our report describes the identification of C. gallinacea infection in free‐range laying chickens (Gallus gallus) in Australia, and the identification of C. gallinacea infection in a parrot, a wild Australian galah (Eolophus roseicapillus). There is currently little knowledge of the effects of C. gallinacea infection on avian hosts, but it has been linked to respiratory disease in humans and could potentially cause similar disease in other species. Our report highlights the need for further study and surveillance of Chlamydia species in both wild and domestic hosts in Australia.

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The Chlamydia are a diverse genus of intracellular bacteria which can infect and cause disease in many species of animals, and in humans, with 14 characterized and three Candidatus species currently described (Cheong et al., 2019;Laroucau et al., 2019). Related bacteria in the order Chlamydiales but outside the Chlamydia genus are also increasingly being identified and have been reported in humans,

Chlamydia psittaci (order: Chlamydiales) is a globally distributed zoonotic bacterium that can cause potentially fatal disease in birds and humans. Parrots are a major host, yet prevalence and risk factors for infection in wild parrots are largely unknown. Additionally, recent research suggests there is a diverse range of novel Chlamydiales circulating in wildlife. We therefore sampled seven abundant parrot species in south-eastern Australia, taking cloacal swabs and serum from n = 132 wild adults. We determined C. psittaci and Chlamydiales prevalence and seroprevalence, and tested for host species, sex, geographical and seasonal differences, and temporal changes in individual infection status. Across all species, Chlamydiales prevalence was 39.8% (95% CI 31.6, 48.7), C. psittaci prevalence was 9.8% (95% CI 5.7, 16.3) and C. gallinacea prevalence was 0.8% (95% CI 0.1, 4.5). Other Chlamydiales species were not identified to species level. We identified two C. psittaci strains within the 6BC clade, which is highly virulent in humans. Seroprevalence was 37.0% (95% CI 28.5, 46.4). Host species (including crimson rosellas, galahs, sulphur-crested cockatoos and blue-winged parrots) differed in seroprevalence and Chlamydiales prevalence. Galahs had both highest Chlamydiales prevalence (54.8%) and seroprevalence (74.1%). Seroprevalence differed between sites, with a larger difference in males (range 20–63%) than females (29–44%). We reveal a higher chlamydial prevalence than previously reported in many wild parrots, with implications for potential reservoirs, and transmission risks to humans and other avian hosts.

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Understanding patterns of pathogen emergence can help identify mechanisms involved in transmission dynamics. Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) poses a major threat worldwide to wild and captive parrots. Yet data from wild birds on seasonal fluctuations in prevalence and infection intensity, and thereby the potential high-risk times for virus transmission, have been lacking. We screened wild Crimson Rosellas (Platycercus elegans) for BFDV in blood and cloacal swabs. Prevalence in blood samples and cloacal swabs, as well as viral load varied with Julian date and in blood, were highest after the breeding season. Breeding birds had lower viral load and lower BFDV prevalence in blood than nonbreeding birds (10.1% prevalence in breeding vs. 43.2% in non-breeding birds). BFDV prevalence was much higher in younger (<3 years) than older (≥3 years) birds for both blood samples (42.9% vs. 4.5%) and cloacal swabs (56.4% vs. 12.3%). BFDV status in blood and cloacal samples was not correlated within individuals. We show that, at least in P. elegans, BFDV infection seems to occur year-round, with seasonal changes in prevalence and load found in our samples. Our analyses suggest that the seasonal changes were associated primarily with the breeding season. We also discuss age and sex as important predictors of BFDV infection. Emerging infectious diseases of wildlife pose a major threat to the conservation of global biodiversity 1,2. Knowledge of temporal patterns of infection allows improved targeting of management strategies to times when pathogens are most prevalent 3,4. Pathogens are often present in host populations year-round, but prevalence fluctuates seasonally 5. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this, including seasonal changes in weather 3,6 , in pathogen virulence and presence 5 , and variation in host susceptibility 7,8. Seasonal breeding can influence host susceptibility, with lowered antibody production and increased parasite load during the breeding season often typical 9 and generally attributed to a weakened immune system during offspring care 3. Only a few wildlife studies have investigated the influence of seasonal changes in host biology on pathogen dynamics, with the available studies finding a peak in pathogen prevalence after the breeding season, and explaining this via an influx of susceptible young into the host population 6,10. Among pathogens, viruses have a particularly severe impact on wildlife, as they can adapt quickly to a wide range of potential hosts and are responsible for a high proportion of emerging infectious diseases 11. Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) is an ssDNA circovirus with a global distribution that can infect most, if not all, Psittaciformes (parrots, lorikeets, cockatoos) 12. This is concerning, as the Psittaciformes are among the most threatened bird orders 13. Accordingly, BFDV has been declared a 'key threatening process to biodiversity' by the Australian Government and a Threat Abatement Plan has been established 14,15. It has furthermore been found in ...