Psittacosis

This bacteria is shed in the faeces, and in the eye and nose discharge of infected birds. Some infected birds can appear healthy but still can shed the organism from time to time. Shedding can be worsened by stress factors, such as egg laying, rearing of young, moving cage, moving house, crowding, and chilling. The faeces containing the bacteria can dry and turn into dust and could be a source of infection. Pet shops and bird markets like ‘Bird Street’ are places where birds are likely to catch the disease. Birds that are imported illegally are also more likely to be infected.

It is very important to realize that a bird can have the bacteria and can spread the disease without showing any symptoms.

There are no specific signs that indicate that a bird has Psittacosis. However, the following signs may be suggestive:

• Discharge from the eyes and nostrils
• Excessive sneezing
• Lack of appetite
• Weight loss
• Depression, sitting fluffed at the bottom of the cage
• Watery, green/yellow droppings

Exact diagnosis of Psittacosis is difficult because there is no test that is 100% reliable in a live bird. Often, a working diagnosis is made based on the symptoms, history, blood tests and radiographs.

There are several testing options to diagnose this disease:

– DNA testing (PCR): This test is performed in a special laboratory after taking swabs of the bird’s conjunctiva (eye), choana (roof of mouth) and cloaca (anus) by our veterinarian. Unfortunately, this test can be negative if the bird is infected with Psittacosis but is not currently shedding the bacteria.

– Blood test (serology): This test is performed using the bird’s blood sample. This method looks for antibodies in the blood of the bird to check if the animal has been exposed to the bacteria or not. Unfortunately this test can only detect exposure in the past, it can’t tell the difference between an old (and already cured) infection and an on-going infection.

The recommended treatment is a particular antibiotic for long term (45 days). The success varies according to how long the bird has been ill, its age, species and other concurrent infection. For parrots our hospital recommends weekly antibiotic injections once a week for 6-7 weeks although the medicine can be given by mouth as well.

As soon as a bird is diagnosed with Psittacosis, it must be isolated from other birds. Other birds in the house may need to be tested or treated as well. There is no immunity to the disease – birds are susceptible to re-infection even after full recovery from the infection.

It is relatively rare that the disease is passed on to humans and it is not contagious between humans. Human infection with psittacosis usually occurs when a person breathes in organisms in the air from dried faeces or respiratory tract secretions, from sneezing of infected birds. Other means of exposure include kissing birds and handling infected birds’ feathers and tissues. Humans that are potentially at a higher risk of infection include those whose immune system is not working well, the very young and the elderly. The incubation period of the disease is 5 to 14 days.

The seriousness of the disease ranges from a mild, non-specific illness to a severe illness with severe pneumonia. Signs of this disease in humans are similar to the signs of influenza: fever, chills, headache, muscle aches or respiratory signs (cough, difficulty breathing). It is important that anyone who develops these symptoms for an unusual length of time should mention to their doctor that he/she is in contact with birds.

• During the treatment of your infected bird, try to reduce the contact with the bird to a minimum – do not kiss your bird or put them near your face/mouth as the bacteria can be shed from their eyes and respiratory tract. Keep them in a room or area that people do not spend much time in. Keep this area clean and well ventilated.
• When you are cleaning the bird’s cage use a mask and gloves in order to reduce the risk of breathing in faecal dust.
• Always keep the cage of your bird clean to decrease the build-up of the infected faeces. The cage can be disinfected with diluted bleach (mix 120 ml bleach in 2 L of water). The bleach must remain in contact with the cage for 10-15 minutes and then the cage should be rinsed with warm water. When you are bleaching the cage make sure that your bird is NOT in the cage or in the same room as the bleach. Bleach can be very irritating to their respiratory tract.

Preventing Psittacosis in Your Bird

Quarantine your new bird for 6 weeks: this means do not let your new bird or its feed bowls etc have any contact with your previous birds for at least 6 weeks. Keep in a different room!

During the quarantine period any newly purchased bird should be brought to our veterinarians to be examined and tested.

Do not buy any bird that looks ill. Try to buy new animals directly from a reliable breeder and not from a pet shop or market. Stress caused by transportation to a pet shop and the mixing of birds from different sources are very common causes of illnesses.

Do not buy anything (live animal, toys, cages, or food) from pet shops with sick birds or dirty cages.

Do not allow your bird to come into contact with other birds – this includes other pet birds (when boarding, going to pet store for tail trims/wing trims) and wild birds.