Symptoms initially resemble the flu and can progress to fatal pneumonia if left untreated.
A strange respiratory epidemic is spreading in Europe. As of February 2024, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands reported a worrying and “unexpected” increase in cases of psittacosisnicknamed “parrot fever” between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, warns the World Health Organization (WHO) in a statement of March 5, 2024. Several people have developed a pneumonia leading to hospitalization and 5 people died. For now, there have been no cases observed in France. Psittacosis is a respiratory infection caused by Chlamydophila psittaci (C. psittaci), a bacterium which often infects birds (especially pet birds such as parrots, parakeets, canaries and pigeons) and is responsible for zoonosis in humans. Most victims had in fact been in contact with wild or domestic birds before their infection. Human psittacosis is a notifiable disease in the countries concerned. In this context, the World Health Organization continues to monitor the situation and epidemiological investigations were implemented to identify potential exposures and clusters of cases in Europe.
Typical symptoms of the flu
Still according to the WHO, psittacosis is generally a mild illnesscharacterized by symptoms such as:
- A fever
- Chills
- Headaches
- Muscle pain
- A dry cough
These symptoms are suggestive ofa cold but can quickly progress, without treatment, to potentially fatal pneumonia. “Most people begin to develop signs and symptoms within 5 to 14 days of exposure to the bacteria“, continues the organization. Those most at risk are: people who work with pet birds, breeders, veterinarians, owners of pet birds and gardeners. Rapid antibiotic treatment is effective and allows avoid complications such as pneumonia. With appropriate antibiotic treatment, psittacosis rarely leads to death (less than 1 in 100 cases), reassures the WHO.
To protect yourself:
WHO recommends the following measures for the prevention and control of psittacosis:
→ Increase clinicians’ awareness of testing suspected cases of C. psittaci for diagnosis by RT-PCR.
→ Increase awareness among owners of caged or domestic birds, particularly psittacines, of the fact that the pathogen can be transported without apparent illness.
→ Quarantine newly acquired birds. If a bird is sick, contact The veterinarian for examination and treatment.
→ Carry out monitoring of C. psittaci in wild birds, potentially including extant specimens collected for other reasons.
→ Encourage people with pet birds to keep the cages cleanto position cages so that excrement cannot spread between them and to avoid overcrowded cages.
→ Promote good hygiene, including frequent hand washingwhen handling birds, their droppings and their environment.
→ Standard infection control practices and droplet transmission precautions should be implemented for hospitalized patients.