Background: Feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) live and breed in many city centres and contact with their droppings can be a hazard for human health if the birds carry Chlamydia psittaci.

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish whether pigeon droppings in two Dutch cities (Utrecht and Haarlem) contain C. psittaci and/or C. avium, which could be a potential hazard for transmission to humans.

Methods: In May 2017 seven feral pigeon ‘hot spots’ with between 5 and 40+ pigeons present were identified in two cities by visual observations over two days. During the following ten days fresh droppings were collected at these hot spots and the samples were pooled per three droppings to achieve 40–41 samples per city. Samples were analysed for Chlamydia DNA with a broad range 23S Chlamydiaceae Real-Time PCR and positive samples were tested with a specific C. psittaci and C. avium Real-Time PCR. Positive C. psittaci samples were genotyped.

Results: C. psittaci and C. avium were detected in both cities. For C. psittaci the prevalences in Utrecht and Haarlem were 2.4% and 7.5%, respectively; for C. avium 36.6% and 20.0%, respectively. One sample contained both species. All C. psittaci samples belonged to genotype B.

Conclusion: C. psittaci and C. avium are present in feral pigeon droppings in Utrecht and Haarlem. Human contact with droppings from infected pigeons or inhalation of dust from dried droppings represent a potential hazard to public health.

背景：野鸽（Columba livia domestica）在许多市中心生活和繁殖，如果鸟类携带鹦鹉热衣原体，与它们的粪便接触可能对人类健康构成危害。

目的：本研究的目的是确定两个荷兰城市（乌得勒支和哈勒姆）的鸽子粪中是否含有鹦鹉热梭状芽孢杆菌和/或鸟形梭状芽胞杆菌，这可能会传播给人类。

方法： 2017年5月，通过为期两天的视觉观察，在两个城市发现了7只野生鸽子``热点''，其中5到40多只鸽子在场。在接下来的十天中，在这些热点收集了新鲜的粪便，每三个粪便就收集一次样本，以达到每个城市40-41个样本。使用广泛的23S衣原体实时PCR对样品的衣原体DNA进行分析，并使用特异性鹦鹉热衣原体和鸟形衣原体实时PCR检测阳性样品。对阳性鹦鹉热衣原体样品进行基因分型。

结果： 在两个城市中均检测到鹦鹉热衣原体和鸟形衣原体。为鹦鹉热衣原体的患病率在乌得勒支和哈勒姆分别为2.4％和7.5％; 禽弧菌分别为36.6％和20.0％。一个样品包含两种。所有鹦鹉热衣原体样品均属于基因型B.

结论： 乌特勒支和哈勒姆的野鸽粪便中存在鹦鹉热衣原体和鸟形衣原体。人与受感染鸽子的粪便接触或吸入干燥粪便中的灰尘对公众健康构成潜在危害。