Whole-Genome Sequences of Chlamydia psittaci Strain HJ, Isolated from Meat Pigeons with Severe Respiratory Distress and High Mortality

The obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium Chlamydia psittaci causes systemic disease in psittacine birds, domestic poultry, and wild fowl. Importantly, C. psittaci may cause pneumonia, encephalitis, endocarditis, and even death in humans. The potential of pigeons as a source of human psittacosis is supported worldwide by relatively high seroconversion rates in the birds. This study reports the whole-genome sequencing of C. psittaci strain HJ, isolated from meat pigeons suffering from severe pneumonia and high mortality in 2013 in Hebei, China.