Presence and shedding of Chlamydia psittaci in waterfowl in a rehabilitation facility and in the wild in New Zealand.

These results indicate that mallards are a reservoir of C. psittaci and therefore may pose a zoonotic risk to people involved in duck hunting, wildlife care and recreational duck feeding. Mallards may also pose a transmission risk to native birds, especially in captive facilities and this has conservation implications for the management of endangered native birds.