PSITTACOSIS

PSITTACOSIS


Psittacosis is a bacterial disease transmitted from bird to bird and from birds to humans. It is also known as ornithosis, parrot fever, chlamydophilosis, and chlamydiosis (not the sexually transmitted chlamydiosis).



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ETIOLOGY: BACTERIAL


Psittacosis is caused by Chlamydophila psittaci (formerly Chlamydia psittaci), a coccoid, gram-negative, obligate intracellular (it must be inside a cell to reproduce) bacterium. C. psittaci can survive, and stay infective, outside of a host in the environment for several months.



HOSTS


The reservoir hosts for C. psittaci are pet birds, especially psittacine birds (such as parrots, parakeets, cockatiels, and macaws) from tropical and subtropical regions, and pigeons. C. psittaci has also been found in mynah birds, doves, canaries, birds of prey, shore birds, and domestic turkeys and ducks but only rarely in chickens. It has been found in more than 100 species of birds, but the most common sources of infection for people are pet psittacine birds and domestic turkeys.



TRANSMISSION


Transmission of C. psittaci is usually by inhalation. The organism is shed in fecal and nasal discharges of infected birds. When these discharges, especially the feces, dry, C. psittaci becomes airborne on fine, dried particles that can be inhaled by people or other birds. Other means of transmission include handling the plumage of infected birds and beak-to-mouth transmission. For this reason, owners should not kiss their pet birds. Rarely, a person with psittacosis may transmit C. psittaci to another person through violent, uncontrolled coughing.



PSITTACOSIS IN BIRDS


Psittacosis is highly contagious among birds. Some birds with psittacosis can shed C. psittaci but show no signs of disease. Stress is an important factor in birds developing clinical signs of psittacosis. Poor diet, overcrowding, poor sanitation, shipping, chilling, breeding, and relocation are some of the more important stressors that can cause a latent illness. In a latent illness, the bird has a C. psittaci infection, but shows no clinical sign of the disease until it is stressed. It may or may not be shedding C. psittaci during the latent period, which may last several years.


The incubation period between exposure to C. psittaci and the appearance of clinical signs is 3 days to several weeks. When clinical signs appear, they can include lethargy and depression, ruffled feathers with shivering, anorexia, ocular and nasal discharges, respiratory distress, diarrhea, yellowish to dark green droppings, decreased egg production, emaciation, and death.

Related posts:

  1. ABOUT THE DISEASES
  2. CAMPYLOBACTERIOSIS (VIBRIOSIS)
  3. MYCOBACTERIUM INFECTIONS (TUBERCULOSIS)
  4. LEPTOSPIROSIS

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Oct 1, 2016 | Posted by in EXOTIC, WILD, ZOO | Comments Off on PSITTACOSIS

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