Chlamydia abortus in brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) from the gulf of California, Mexico

Abstract

The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) is a migratory subspecies that nests on the islands of the gulf of California, in the Pacific Northwest. The objective of this study was to identify Chlamydia species in brown pelican samples obtained in 2016, 2017, and 2021. Samples were taken from the cloacae and choanae of 86 brown pelicans in specimens ranging from three to seven weeks of age. The samples were obtained with sterile swabs and transferred to an SPG growth medium. The DNA was extracted to carry out a real-time PCR that detects the gene of the 235 rRNA subunit of the Chlamydiaceae family. In addition, real-time PCR directed to the ompA gene was performed to determine the Chlamydia species. Of the 86 sampled pelicans, four were positive for the family Chlamydiaceae and Chlamydia abortus. This is the first report of C. abortus in brown pelicans from the gulf of California, Mexico.