Contents
In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
Ornithosis is a disease of pigeon breeders, the pathogen of which is Chlamydia psittaci. Wild and farmed birds are the reservoir of the germ. Human infection occurs through droplets, inhalation of dust with particles of dried faeces, direct contact with the bird, rarely through a bite (peck).
A few words about ornithosis
Ornithosis, otherwise known as parrot, is a zoonotic disease (a disease of pigeon breeders) caused by infection with a bacterium Chlamydia psittaci. This is a very rare condition that is carried by domesticated birds. Since 1996, fewer than 50 cases of avian disease have been reported per year, although in fact many patients have not been diagnosed because they did not see a doctor. The initial symptoms of ornithosis resemble the flu, which is why doctors often misdiagnose. It is only with the development of parrots that chest pain, coughing and hemoptysis begin to join. Treatment requires antibiotics.
How do we get infected with ornithosis?
Infection in birds is asymptomatic. Chlamydia psittaci is excreted together with the faeces of human birds, and human infection occurs by droplets, by inhalation of dust containing small amounts of dried faeces, direct contact with the bird, rarely by bite (peck). It is also possible to become infected through contaminated water and direct contact with a sick person (e.g. through coughing). After entering the human body, the bacterium multiplies intracellularly and produces a toxin responsible for damaging the endothelium of arterial, venous and capillary vessels. It leads to various types of hemorrhages and damage to internal organs. Avian disease is infected not only from pigeons, but also from other domestic birds such as turkeys, ducks, chickens, parrots or gulls and canaries.
Ornithosis occurs most often in people who, due to their profession, have daily contact with birds or breed pigeons as a hobby.
Ornithosis hatching period: 7–14 days.
Ornithosis – symptoms
Symptoms of bird ornithosis are weight loss, lack of appetite, stool discoloration and diarrhea. In addition, there may be discharge from the eyes or nose, and drowsiness. Sick birds often eat little or no food. Ornithosis is very easily transferred from one bird to another. It should be remembered that birds do not always have to show symptoms, as it is not uncommon for them to carry the bacteria for many months before any symptoms appear.
Ornithosis in humans can take the form of mild to very severe poisoning with a toxin, accompanied by the involvement of the central nervous system, including. The onset of the disease is usually sudden and includes:
- fever (even 40 degrees Celsius),
- chills,
- headaches,
- common nosebleed
- general malaise and weakness of the patient,
- sometimes a blotchy rash appears.
The most important changes concern the respiratory system, where the disease takes the form of interstitial pneumonia with cough, dyspnoea and cyanosis. There is also hemoptysis. Other symptoms of ornithosis include:
- enlarged liver and spleen
- muscle aches,
- stomach pain,
- pains in the first cage,
- nausea and vomiting
- photophobia,
- tearing and redness of the conjunctiva,
- slow heart rate (bradycardia).
Sometimes ornithosis can be very serious, including respiratory failure and sepsis. The disease can also lead to numerous complications, e.g. on the part of the central nervous system or in the form of liver damage and myocarditis.
How do we diagnose ornithosis?
In the diagnosis of ornithosis, the medical interview with the patient is very important, in which it is important to take into account his / her profession, having animals at home and close to them, and hobbies. After obtaining the necessary information, a preliminary diagnosis is possible. Unfortunately, doctors very often do not suspect ornithosis right away, because it is a rare ailment that does not give specific symptoms in the first instance. For this reason, it is very important to inform your doctor that you have recently come into contact with a sick bird. In order to confirm the diagnosis in XNUMX%, a culture of Chlamydia psitacci bacteria is used, for which the material is collected from the respiratory tract. Another test is the antibody test, in which it is necessary to determine if there are antibodies to the bacteria that cause ornithosis are present and whether there are a lot of them.
In addition, imaging tests are often used in diagnostics:
- Chest X-ray (can show pneumonia which is often caused by ornithosis)
- computed tomography (HRCT – high resolution).
Ornithosis – treatment
Treatment of ornithosis as a bacterial disease requires antibiotic therapy in each case. In adult patients, an antibiotic of the tetracycline group (doxycillin) is usually prescribed. However, another second-line drug in both adults and children are macrolide antibiotics. Treatment at home is not always possible, and the patient must be hospitalized very often. The indication for this is his severe condition, sepsis and respiratory failure.