UC Davis Researchers Studying If Chlamydia Can Spread Through Air To Birds

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A UC Davis research team has found chlamydia in five wildlife rehabilitation centers across the state within a one-year period.

Many would assume that chlamydia is spreading through birds sexually, but it's actually spreading through the air.

Researchers found red-tailed hawks, Swainson hawks, owls, and even vultures all were infected with the disease. But not all may show outward signs of illness.

The viral infection found in wildlife is different than the sexually transmitted disease found in humans. The symptoms are similar to the West Nile virus but occur during the wrong season.

CBS13's Rachel Wolf spoke with Tri-County Wildlife Care Director, Susan Manning, about the issue.

"That's the big concern, that they had was this could possibly be zoonotic and transmissible to humans and aerosolized," Manning said. "So through the air when we are handling these birds we need to wear an N95 mask."

The California Department of Food and Agriculture defines zoonotic as "diseases and infections that are naturally transmitted between animals and humans."