Psittacosis
Basics
DESCRIPTION
- An acute febrile disease characterized by pneumonitis and other systemic symptoms
- The name is derived from the Greek for parrot, psittakos; thus, psittacosis is often referred to as “parrot disease.”
- Also known as ornithosis
EPIDEMIOLOGY
- Birds are the major reservoir of the psittacosis pathogen.
- Nearly all domestic and wild birds may spread this infection.
- Psittacine birds (parakeets, parrots, and macaws) are a major source of disease in the United States, but pigeons and turkeys are also common culprits.
- Infecting agent is present in bird nasal secretions, urine, feces, feathers, viscera, and carcasses.
- Inhalation of aerosols of feces, urine, and secretions of infected birds is the most common route of infection.
- Handling of plumage, bird bites, and mouth-to-beak contact are known to spread infection.
- Birds may be healthy or sick.
- Most reported cases (70%) are the result of exposure to pet caged birds (especially parrots, parakeets).
- Psittacosis is mainly an occupational disease among workers in poultry plants, duck or goose pluckers, pigeon breeders, pet store employees, and workers on farms and in zoos.
- Most common mammalian source of infection is sheep.
- Person-to-person transmission is so unusual that isolation of the infected patient is likely unnecessary.
INCIDENCE
- Psittacosis is rare in humans.
- Only 100 to 200 total cases reported in United States each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted 813 cases of psittacosis from 1988 to 1998.
- Very rare disease in young children
RISK-FACTORS
Close human contact with birds and, in some cases, sheep
GENERAL-PREVENTION
- Epidemiologic investigation is indicated in all suspected cases.
- Birds suspected to be infected should be killed, transported, and analyzed by qualified experts.
- Potentially contaminated living areas where bird was kept should be disinfected and aired.
- Pathogen is susceptible to most household disinfectants (rubbing alcohol, bleach).
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires veterinary inspection of birds at the first port of entry into the United States and quarantine for a minimum of 30 days at USDA-approved facilities to ensure the birds are free of evidence of communicable diseases.
- In addition, during U.S. quarantine, psittacine birds receive medicated feed containing chlortetracycline for the entire quarantine period as a precautionary measure against avian chlamydiosis.
- Human psittacosis is a nationally notifiable disease and should be reported to public health authorities.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
- Inhalation of aerosolized organisms into the respiratory tract
- Incubation period 5 to 14 days; may be longer
- Spreads via bloodstream to lungs, liver, and spleen
- Lymphocytic inflammatory alveolar response
ETIOLOGY
- Infection produced by Chlamydophila psittaci, an obligate intracellular parasitic bacterium
- Morphologically, antigenically, and genetically different from Chlamydia species
ASSOCIATED-CONDITIONS
Pneumonitis (with a severe headache) is a common presentation.
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Citation
Cabana, Michael D., editor. "Psittacosis." Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics, 7th ed., Wolters Kluwer Health, 2015. Medicine Central, im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14027/all/Psittacosis.
Psittacosis. In: Cabana MDM, ed. Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14027/all/Psittacosis. Accessed October 9, 2024.
Psittacosis. (2015). In Cabana, M. D. (Ed.), Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics (7th ed.). Wolters Kluwer Health. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14027/all/Psittacosis
Psittacosis [Internet]. In: Cabana MDM, editors. Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015. [cited 2024 October 09]. Available from: https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14027/all/Psittacosis.
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