Psittacosis or parrot fever is a disease that occurs both in humans and in parrots. It is the organism Chlamydophila psittaci found in bird droppings, which has the characteristics of both bacteria and virus that is responsible for causing psittacosis.
The disease is generally spread from an infected bird to a human when the bacteria are inhaled through secretions; dust from feathers or from dried bird droppings. Though person to person transmission has been suggested, it has not been proven so far.
Causes and symptoms
Psittacosis is a very rare disease where only 100 – 200 cases are reported in a year in the US. Bird owners, veterinarians, pet shop employees and people working in poultry processing plants are at an increased risk for the condition. Generally parakeets, parrots and budgerigars trigger the disease; but sometimes, other birds too trigger it.
The symptoms associated with psittacosis generally appear after 4-15 days of exposure. These symptoms include fatigue, fever and chills, chest tightness, dry cough, headache, muscle aches, shortness of breath and joint aches. In rare cases, psittacosis can also lead to pneumonia.
Diagnosis and treatment
The doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to the chest for abnormal lung sounds like crackles and a reduction in breathing sounds. Other tests that may be performed to diagnose psittacosis are antibody titer where the rising of the titer with time indicates an infection, blood gases and a sputum culture. Your doctor may also create a blood culture to grow Chlamydia and diagnose the condition or carry out a CT scan or X-ray of the chest.
Antibiotics are the best treatment for psittacosis, where doxycycline is the first treatment option. Other antibiotics like moxiflacin, tetracycline, erythromycin, azithromycin and rifampin may also be prescribed to treat the condition.
However oral prescription of tetracycline or doxycycline is generally not advised for pregnant women, and for children till their permanent teeth starts growing. This is because the medicine can lead to permanent discoloration of growing teeth.
Possible complications
While the right treatment can lead to a full recovery from psittacosis, there is a chance of some complications arising like heart valve infection, reduced lung functioning because of pneumonia, an inflammation of the liver and brain involvement.
Prevention
It is better to avoid exposure to birds that carry these bacteria, like imported parakeets and parrots. Moreover, any medical problem that reduces your body immunity increases the risk of psittacosis and should be treated accordingly.