Psittacosis (patient information)

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Psittacosis

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Psittacosis?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Prevention

Psittacosis On the Web

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

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FDA on Psittacosis

CDC on Psittacosis

Psittacosis in the news

Blogs on Psittacosis

Directions to Hospitals Treating Psittacosis

Risk calculators and risk factors for Psittacosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Mohammed A. Sbeih, M.D. [2]Omodamola Aje B.Sc, M.D. [3]

Overview

Psittacosis is an infection caused by Chlamydia psittaci, a type of bacteria found in the droppings of birds. Birds spread the infection to humans.

What are the symptoms of Psittacosis?

What causes Psittacosis?

Psittacosis is a rare disease: 100 - 200 cases are reported each year in the United States.

Bird owners, pet shop employees, persons who work in poultry processing plants, and veterinarians are at increased risk for this infection. Typical birds involved are parrots, parakeets, and budgerigars, although other birds have also caused the disease.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Antibiotics are needed to treat this infection. If you develop symptoms of psittacosis, call your health care provider.

Diagnosis

The health care provider will hear abnormal lung sounds such as crackles and decreased breath sounds when listening to the chest with a stethoscope.

Tests include:

Treatment options

The infection is treated with antibiotics. Doxycycline is the first line treatment. Other antibiotics that may be prescribed include:

Note: Tetracycline and doxycycline by mouth is usually not prescribed for children until after all their permanent teeth have started to grow in or to pregnant women. The medicine can permanently discolor teeth that are still forming.

Where to find medical care for Psittacosis?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Psittacosis

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Full recovery is expected.

Possible complications

Prevention

Avoid exposure to birds that may carry this bacteria, such as imported parakeets. Medical problems that lead to a weak immune system increase your risk for this disease and should be treated appropriately.

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000088.htm

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