PSITTACOSIS IS A DISEASE THAT IS RELATIVELY COMMON IN PET BIRDS, VERY CONTAGIOUS BETWEEN BIRDS AND WHICH CAN SOMETIMES BE TRANSMITTED TO HUMANS..
IT IS ALSO SOMETIMES CALLED ORNITHOSIS OR CHLAMYDIOSIS.

THE ORGANISM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISEASE IS CHLAMYDIA PSITTACI.

TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION MAINLY OCCURS TROUGH FEATHER DUST OR FECAL DUST INHALATION, OR CONTACT WITH RESPIRATORY DISCHARGE.

PLACES LIKE PET SHOP AND BIRD MARKETS ARE PLACES WHERE A BIRD IS LIKELY TO CONTRACT THE DISEASE, BIRDS THAT ARE IMPORTED ILLEGALLY ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED.

DISEASE

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REALISE THAT A BIRD CAN HARBOUR THE BACTERIA AND BE CONTAGIOUS WITHOUT PRESENTING ANY CLINICAL SIGNS.

BIRDS TEND TO SHED THE BACTERIA UNDER CONDITIONS OF STRESS (CHANGE OF ENVIRONMENT, SHIPPING, CROWDING) .

THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC SIGNS THAT INDICATE THAT A BIRD HAS PSITTACOSIS. HOWEVER, THE FOLLOWING SIGNS MAY BE SUGGESTIVE :

• LACK OF APPETITE
• WEIGHT LOSS
• DEPRESSION, SITTING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CAGE
• WATERY ,GREEN DROPPINGS
• DISCHARGE FROM EYES AND NARES

DIAGNOSIS

DIAGNOSIS IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE AT PRESENT THERE IS NO TEST THAT IS 100% RELIABLE IN THE LIVE BIRD.

THERE IS HOWEVER A VERY RELIABLE TEST( DNA TEST) WHICH DETERMINES IF THE BIRD IS EXCRETING THE ORGANISM .

MOST OFTEN , A PRESUMPTIVE DIAGNOSIS WILL BE MADE ON THE BASIS OF SYMPTOMS, HISTORY AND VARIOUS BLOOD TESTS AND RADIOGRAPHS.
MANY BIRDS WILL PRESENT SECONDARY INFECTION ,BACTERIAL OR VIRAL.
TREATMENT

THE TREATMENT CONSISTS OF ANTIBIOTICS AND WILL LAST AT LEAST 45 DAYS , ITS SUCCESS VARIES ACORDING TO HOW LONG THE BIRD HAS BEEN ILL FOR, ITS AGE, SPECIES, AND OTHER CONCURRENT INFECTION.
AS SOON AS A BIRD IS DIAGNOSED POSITIVE IT MUST BE ISOLATED FROM OTHER BIRDS

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE OTHER BIRDS IN THE HOUSE MAY HAVE TO BE TREATED, OR BE TESTED.

YOU WILL BE ADVISED ON WHICH DISINFECTANT TO USE TO CLEAN THE CAGE.

TRY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INHALHATION OF FEATHERS AND DUST , REDUCE CONTACT WITH THE BIRD TO A MINIMUM, WEAR GLOVES WHEN HANDLING FECES AND CLEANING THE CAGE.

DO NOT USE ANY MINERAL SUPPLEMENT IN THE WATER AS IT MAY INTERFERE WITH THE MEDICATION.

THERE IS NO IMMUNITY TO THE DISEASE , AND BIRDS ARE SUCCEPTIBLE TO REINFECTION EVEN AFTER FULL RECOVERY FROM PREVIOUS TREATMENT.
DISEASE IN HUMANS

IT IS RELATIVELY RARE THAT THE DISEASE IS PASSED ON TO HUMANS AND IT IS NOT CONTAGIOUS BETWEEN HUMANS.

IT IS NORMALLY MILD BUT POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FOR PERSONS WHO ARE SICK OR IMMUNOSUPRESSED, CHILDREN, OR ELDERLY.
FEVER , WEAKNESS AND RESPIRATORY SIGNS ARE REPORTED.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ANYONE THAT DEVELOPS THESE SYMPTOMS FOR AN UNUSUAL LENGH OF TIME SHOULD MENTION TO THE DOCTOR THAT HE/SHE IS IN CONTACT WITH BIRDS.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

• ANY NEWLY PURCHASED BIRD SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO A VET TO BE EXAMINED AND TESTED
• DO NOT BUY ANY BIRD THAT LOOKS ILL.
• ISOLATE ALL BIRDS NEWLY ACQUIRED FOR A PERIOD OF 6 WEEKS.
• BRING ANY BIRD THAT PRESENT SIGNS OF ILLNESS TO THE VET WITHOUT DELAY, BIRDS OFTEN HIDE THEIR ILLNESS UNTIL THEY ARE SERIOUSLY ILL.