Clinical features and outcome of eight patients with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia diagnosed by targeted next generation sequencing

INTRODUCTION: The clinical symptoms of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia are still poorly understood. This study was designed to summarize the clinical features and outcome of eight C. psittaci pneumonia patients diagnosed by targeted next generation sequencing (tNGS). METHODS: We included eight C. psittaci pneumonia patients admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to July 2022. The tNGS was performed to the samples collected from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of each patient. Their clinical data were analysed, including baseline features, clinical symptoms, chest radiographic findings and laboratory examinations. RESULTS: The tNGS sequence number for C. psittaci was in a range of 10 to 1722. The radiographic characteristics were mainly featured by patchy consolidation shadows, ground‐glass density shadows, air bronchogram and slight pleural effusion. Within 1–3 days after hospitalization, most patients showed increased neutrophil ratio, C‐reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and decreased lymphocyte count, total protein, albumin and prealbumin. Some patients showed increased glutamic‐pyruvic transaminase, glutamic‐oxaloacetic transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Three critically ill patients showed increased creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme and high‐sensitivity troponin T (hs‐TnT) levels. CONCLUSIONS: A poultry or bird contact history, typical flu‐like symptoms, patchy consolidation, ground‐glass density shadow and air bronchogram may contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of C. psittaci pneumonia. Increase in creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme and hs‐TnT may indicate a severe condition. Moxifloxacin and minocycline were effective in the management of C. psittaci pneumonia.