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Ophthalmology => Trachoma => Psittacosis
Psittacosis
Psittacosis, (Latin psittacus,"parrot"), also parrot fever, disease of birds that primarily affects the respiratory system and which is caused by a strain of the parasitic bacterium Chlamydia psittaci. Transmissible to humans, psittacosis is often considered an occupational disease among pigeon breeders, farmers, flock owners, and employees of poultry-processing plants.
Poultry infected with psittacosis may have diarrhea, respiratory symptoms, and weakness, or they may show no outward signs of the disease. Treatment with chlortetracycline and the other tetracyclines in the feed or water is effective.
Psittacosis is transmitted to humans through dust particles, handling of infected birds or their carcasses, and bite wounds. No instances of human beings becoming infected by simply eating poultry are known; apparently the causative agent is destroyed during cooking. In humans the disease causes chills and fever, sore throat, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.
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