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Parrot Fever

Definition

Parrot fever is a rare infectious disease that causes pneumonia in humans. It is transmitted from pet birds or poultry. The illness is caused by a chlamydia, which is a type of intracellular parasite closely related to bacteria. Parrot fever is also called chlamydiosis, psittacosis, or ornithosis.

Description

Parrot fever, which is referred to as avian psittacosis when it infects birds, is caused by Chlamydia psittaci. Pet birds in the parrot family, including parrots, parakeets, macaws, and cockatiels, are the most common carriers of the infection. Other birds that may also spread C. psittaci include pigeons, doves, mynah birds, and turkeys. Birds that are carrying the organism may appear healthy, but can shed it in their feces. The symptoms of avian psittacosis include inactivity, loss of appetite and ruffled feathers, diarrhea, runny eyes and nasal discharge, and green or yellow-green urine. Sick birds can be treated with antibiotics by a veterinarian.

C. psittaci is usually spread from birds to humans through exposure to infected bird feces during cage cleaning or by handling infected birds. In humans, parrot fever can range in severity from minor flu-like symptoms to severe and life-threatening pneumonia.

Causes and symptoms

Parrot fever is usually transmitted by inhaling dust from dried bird droppings or by handling infected birds. Humans can also spread the disease by person-to-person contact, but that is very rare. The symptoms usually develop within five to 14 days of exposure and include fever, headache, chills, loss of appetite, cough, and tiredness. In the most severe cases of parrot fever, the patient develops pneumonia. People who work in pet shops or who keep pet birds are the most likely to become infected.

Diagnosis

Only 100-200 cases of parrot fever are reported each year in the United States. It is possible, however, that the illness is more common since it is easily confused with other types of influenza or pneumonia. Doctors are most likely to consider a diagnosis of parrot fever if the patient has a recent history of exposure to birds. The diagnosis can be confirmed by blood tests for antibodies, usually complement fixation or immunofluorescence tests. The organism is difficult to culture. A chest x ray may also be used to diagnose the pneumonia caused by C. psittaci.

Treatment

Psittacosis is treated with an antibiotic, usually tetracycline (Achromycin, Sumycin); doxycycline (Doxy, Vibramycin); or erythromycin (Eryc, Ilotycin). Oral medication is typically prescribed for at least 10-14 days. Severely ill patients may be given intravenous antibiotics for the first few days of therapy.

Prognosis

The prognosis for recovery is excellent; with antibiotic treatment, more than 99% of patients with parrot fever will recover. Severe infections, however, may be fatal to the elderly, untreated persons, and persons with weak immune systems.

Prevention

As of 1998, there is no vaccine that is effective against parrot fever. Birds that are imported into the country as pets should be quarantined to ensure that they are not infected before they can be sold. Health authorities recommend that breeders and importers feed imported birds a special blend of feed mixed with antibiotics for 45 days to ensure that any C. psittaci organisms are destroyed. In addition, bird cages and food and water bowls should be cleaned daily.

Key terms

Avian chlamydiosis — An illness in pet birds and poultry caused by Chlamydia psittaci. It is also known as parrot fever in birds.

Chlamydia psittaci — An organism related to bacteria that infects some types of birds and can be transmitted to humans to cause parrot fever.

Chlamydiosis, psittacosis, or ornithosis — Other names for parrot fever in humans.

Resources

Organizations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1600 Clifton Rd., NE, Atlanta, GA 30333. (800) 311-3435, (404) 639-3311. http://www.cdc.gov.

Other

"Psittacosis (Parrot Fever; Ornithosis)." ThriveOnline. http://thriveonline.oxygen.com.

fever /fe·ver/ (fe´ver)

1. pyrexia; elevation of body temperature above the normal (37°C).

2. any disease characterized by elevation of body temperature.

blackwater fever a dangerous complication of falciparum malaria, with passage of dark red to black urine, severe toxicity, and high mortality.

boutonneuse fever a tickborne disease endemic in the Mediterranean area, Crimea, Africa, and India, due to infection with Rickettsia conorii, with chills, fever, primary skin lesion (tache noire), and rash appearing on the second to fourth day.

cat-scratch fever see under disease.

central fever sustained fever resulting from damage to the thermoregulatory centers of the hypothalamus.

childbed fever puerperal septicemia.

Colorado tick fever a tickborne, nonexanthematous, febrile, viral disease caused by an arenavirus and seen in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States.

continued fever one that varies only slightly in 24 hours.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever a hemorrhagic fever caused by the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, transmitted by ticks and by contact with blood, secretions, or fluids from infected animals or humans; it occurs in the Crimea, Central Asia, and regions of Africa.

drug fever febrile reaction to a therapeutic agent, such as a vaccine, antineoplastic, or antibiotic.

elephantoid fever a recurrent acute febrile condition occurring with filariasis; it may be associated with elephantiasis or lymphangitis.

enteric fever any of a group of febrile illnesses associated with enteric symptoms caused by salmonellae, especially typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever.

epidemic hemorrhagic fever an acute infectious disease characterized by fever, purpura, peripheral vascular collapse, and acute renal failure, caused by viruses of the genus Hantavirus, thought to be transmitted to humans by contact with saliva and excreta of infected rodents.

familial Mediterranean fever a hereditary disease usually seen in Armenians and Sephardic Jews, with short recurrent attacks of fever, pain in the abdomen, chest, or joints, and erythema like that of erysipelas; it may be complicated by amyloidosis.

Haverhill fever the bacillary form of rat-bite fever, due to Streptobacillus moniliformis, and transmitted through contaminated raw milk and its products.

hay fever a seasonal form of allergic rhinitis, with acute conjunctivitis, lacrimation, itching, swelling of the nasal mucosa, nasal catarrh, and attacks of sneezing, an anaphylactic or allergic reaction excited by a specific allergen (such as pollen).

hemorrhagic fevers a group of diverse, severe viral infections seen around the world but mainly in the tropics, usually transmitted to humans by arthropod bites or contact with virus-infected rodents; they all have certain common features, including fever, hemorrhagic manifestations, thrombocytopenia, shock, and neurologic disturbances.

humidifier fever malaise, fever, cough, and myalgia caused by inhalation of air that has been passed through humidifiers, dehumidifiers, or air conditioners contaminated by fungi, amebas, or thermophilic actinomycetes.

intermittent fever an attack of malaria or other fever, with recurring fever episodes separated by times of normal temperature.

Katayama fever fever associated with severe schistosomal infections, accompanied by hepatosplenomegaly and by eosinophilia.

Lassa fever a highly fatal, acute, febrile disease seen in West Africa, caused by a virulent arenavirus and characterized by increasing prostration, sore throat, ulcerations of the mouth or throat, rash, and general aching.

metal fume fever a disease of welders and others working with volatilized metals, marked by sudden thirst, metallic taste in the mouth, high fever with chills, sweating, and leukocytosis.

mud fever a type of leptospirosis seen in workers in flooded fields and swamps in Germany and Russia.

nonseasonal hay fever , hay fever, perennial nonseasonal allergic rhinitis.

Oroya fever see Carrión's disease.

paratyphoid fever paratyphoid.

parenteric fever a disease clinically resembling typhoid fever and paratyphoid, but not caused by Salmonella.

parrot fever psittacosis.

pharyngoconjunctival fever an epidemic disease due to an adenovirus, seen mainly in school children, with fever, pharyngitis, conjunctivitis, rhinitis, and enlarged cervical lymph nodes.

phlebotomus fever a febrile viral disease of short duration, transmitted by the sandfly Phlebotomus papatasi, with dengue-like symptoms, seen in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries.

Pontiac fever a self-limited disease marked by fever, cough, muscle aches, chills, headache, chest pain, confusion, and pleuritis, caused by a strain of Legionella pneumophila.

pretibial fever an infection due to a serovar of Leptospira interrogans, marked by a rash on the pretibial region, with lumbar and postorbital pain, malaise, coryza, and fever.

puerperal fever septicemia accompanied by fever, in which the focus of infection is a lesion of the mucous membrane of the parturient canal due to trauma during childbirth; usually due to a streptococcus.

Q fever a febrile rickettsial infection, usually respiratory, first described in Australia, caused by Coxiella burnetii.

rat-bite fever either of two clinically similar acute infectious diseases, usually transmitted through a rat bite, one form (bacillary) of which is caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis and the other form (spirillary) by Spirillum minor.

recurrent fever

1. relapsing f.

2. recurrent paroxysmal fever occurring in various diseases, such as malaria.

relapsing fever any of a group of infectious diseases due to various species of Borrelia, marked by alternating periods of fever and apyrexia, each lasting from five to seven days.

remittent fever one that shows significant variations in 24 hours but without return to normal temperature.

rheumatic fever a febrile disease occurring as a sequela to Group A hemolytic streptococcal infections, characterized by multiple focal inflammatory lesions of connective tissue structures, especially of the heart, blood vessels, and joints, and by Aschoff bodies in the myocardium and skin.

Rift Valley fever a zoonotic febrile disease with dengue-like symptoms, due to an arbovirus, transmitted to humans by mosquitoes or by contact with diseased animals; first observed in the Rift Valley, Kenya.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever infection with Rickettsia rickettsii, transmitted by ticks, marked by fever, muscle pain, and weakness followed by a macular petechial eruption that begins on the hands and feet and spreads to the trunk and face, with other symptoms in the central nervous system and elsewhere.

rose fever a form of hay fever caused by grass pollens released while roses or other flowers are blooming.

scarlet fever an acute disease caused by Group A β-hemolytic streptococci, marked by pharyngotonsillitis and a skin rash caused by an erythrogenic toxin produced by the organism; the rash is a diffuse, bright red erythema, and desquamation of the skin begins as fine scaling with eventual peeling of the palms and soles.

Sennetsu fever a febrile disease seen in Japan and Malaysia and caused by Ehrlichia sennetsu, characterized by headache, nausea, lymphocytosis, and lymphadenopathy.

septic fever fever due to septicemia.

South African tickbite fever boutonneuse f.

trench fever a louse-borne rickettsial disease due to Bartonella quintana, transmitted by the body louse, Pediculus humanus corporis, and characterized by intermittent fever, generalized aches and pains, particularly severe in the shins, chills, sweating, vertigo, malaise, typhus-like rash, and multiple relapses.

typhoid fever infection by Salmonella typhi chiefly involving the lymphoid follicles of the ileum, with chills, fever, headache, cough, prostration, abdominal distention, splenomegaly, and a maculopapular rash; perforation of the bowel may occur in untreated cases.

fever of unknown origin (FUO) a febrile illness of at least three weeks' duration (some authorities permit a shorter duration), with a temperature of at least 38.3°C on at least three occasions and failure to establish a diagnosis in spite of intensive inpatient or outpatient evaluation (three outpatient visits or three days' hospitalization).

West Nile fever see under encephalitis.

yellow fever an acute, infectious, mosquito-borne viral disease, endemic primarily in tropical South America and Africa, marked by fever, jaundice due to necrosis of the liver, and albuminuria.

par·rot fever (p

See psittacosis.

parrot fever.

See psittacosis.

parrot

any of a group of birds in the family Psittacidae which also includes cockatoos and lories. All are characterized by curved beaks with the lower one fitting inside the larger upper beak when they are closed. The typical parrots are the macaws, parakeets, lovebirds and budgerigars. They are characterized by their bright plumage, their gift of mimicry and their popularity as pets.

parrot fever

see psittacosis.

parrot mouth

serious malocclusion of the incisors with the upper arcade protruding beyond the lower. Called also overshot. See also brachygnathia.

parrot pox

see parrotpox.