Information on Psittacosis

Every customer with a new bird must be alerted to this disease and the precautions that your pet shop is taking to prevent it.

What is a Psittacosis?
Psittacosis is a serious infection of birds and humans which is caused by the virus-like bacteria Chlamydia psittaci. Veterinarians call this disease Chlamydiosis and doctors call it Psittacosis. I will call it Psittacosis to avoid confusion.

Most birds have been exposed or may carry the disease but in this state it does not cause any problems and they are not contagious. However, Psittacosis may become highly contagious (it is spread by the air or by the droppings) from bird to bird and even from bird to man when stressful conditions prevail. Stressful conditions for the bird may be anything that upsets the birds’ normal routine such as overcrowding, poor food quality, fungal and viral infections, a new home, and so on. Psittacosis does occur in pet shops but does not relate to the care and attention given by shop. It relates more to the inherent strength of the individual birds. There is a real potential for Psittacosis to infect your customers and a regular treatment against this disease is recommended. I would suggest you phone me for a custom made programme.

So why are new birds susceptible to this problem?
Stress or exposure to high levels of the Psittacosis germ predispose birds to this condition. Both of these conditions occur in the pet shop situation.

How is it treated in the pet shop?
Psittacosis is a life threatening disease and the treatment programme includes a treatment with Chlamydia treatment and disinfecting with Protector.

Are there any other special instructions?
For the Chlamydia treatment in the water to work properly all sources of minerals must be removed from the cage or aviary. This includes all metal containers (except stainless steel), grit, cuttlefish, sand, and mineral supplements. As well, the birds must have no other source of water, so it is wise not to feed fruits or moist foods.

Are there any long term problems?
When detected early, the treatment for Psittacosis is remarkably successful as long as there are no underlying illnesses. To protect birds in the pet shop from re-infection a stress relief health programme is recommended.

Is this disease contagious to humans or other birds?
Psittacosis is contagious to other birds and humans. All birds in contact with the ill bird must be treated. You must consult your doctor for a blood test to see if you have the illness. The treatment is simply a course of tablets if you have caught the illness early and are not very ill with it. Humans can get kidney failure and severe liver disease and even die if the disease is not identified and treated early enough. Symptoms of the disease in humans include chronic fatigue, headaches, flu-like syndromes which fail to respond the flu medicines, nausea, chest pains, abdominal cramps and fevers.

Copyright © 2002 Rob Marshall, All Rights Reserved.