Infection and Drug Resistance (Feb 2023)
Clinical Characteristics of Six Patients with Chlamydia psittaci Infection Diagnosed by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing: A Case Series
Abstract
Zhenghua Zhu,1,* Xiang Wang,1,* Jinhong Zhao,1 Zuozhou Xie,1 Chen Yang,1 Lingyi Li,2 Yi Liu1 1Department of Respiration, The Second People’s Hospital of Kunming, Kunming, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Medical, Hangzhou Matridx Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Lingyi Li, Department of Medical, Hangzhou Matridx Biotechnology Co., Ltd, No. 2073 Jinchang Road, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311100, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613888173009, Email [email protected] Yi Liu, Department of Respiration, the Second People’s Hospital of Kunming, No. 871 Longquan Road, Panlong District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, 650051, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613648898773, Email [email protected]: The incidence of psittacosis infection has gradually increased in recent years. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) can be used to comprehensively identify the total DNA and RNA content of the microbiome, as well as identify both known and unexpected pathogens within 24 hours. We diagnosed and treated six patients with psittacosis infection using mNGS, two of whom developed severe disease and most of whom presented with pulmonary symptoms. One of the young female patients also presented with irregular vaginal bleeding and myocarditis. Patients with underlying gastric disorders first showed gastrointestinal symptoms, which is a rare manifestation in patients with psittacosis. Older patients with underlying disease usually showed more severe symptoms. However, rare complications can also occur in immunocompetent young people and develop into severe disease. All patients showed significant congestion at bronchial lumen lesions, which may be associated with a severe inflammatory response to mucosal Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci) infection. Overall, mNGS is a rapid and effective tool for the clinical diagnosis of psittacosis caused by C. psittaci, and early diagnosis and treatment can prevent psittacosis from developing into a serious illness.Keywords: Chlamydia psittaci, diagnosis, evolutionary tree, metagenomic next-generation sequencing, serotype
