A YOUNG man was diagnosed with psittacosis – also known as ‘parrot chlamydia’ – after accidentally inhaling chicken poop.
The 26-year-old arrived at a hospital in China in January 2023, suffering from a that had lasted six days and a persistent high fever.
Doctors handling his case initially suspected the man from Zhejiang Province had a run-of-the-mill , but a chest scan revealed something more serious.
His lungs were filled with “ground-glass opacities”;;, a hazy pattern that usually shows up in people with viral or .
Despite treatment with standard , his condition only got worse.
Tests on a lung sample found he had psittacosis – also called – caused by psittaci bacteria.
The chlamydia that causes psittacosis is not the same as the chlamydia. They’re just part of the same bacterial group.
It is a flu-like illness caused by contact with infectedthat can leave people suffering withor brain and heart inflammation.
In this case, the man had been exposed to chicken poo prior to symptom onset.
“The patient kept more than 10 pigeons and had mistakenly inhaled chicken manure before symptom onset,”;; the medics treating him wrote in the BMC Infectious Diseases.
Once diagnosed, his treatment was adjusted to include appropriate antibiotics, specifically: omadacyclineand azithromycin.
Within two weeks his cough had “completely resolved”;; and a CT scan suggested his lungs were improving, the medics wrote.
,,, and The Netherlands have all seen a sudden increase in parrot fever infections last year the WorldOrganisation (WHO) previously warned.
“Psittacosis pneumonia should be considered in patients with the RHS and histories of contact with poultry or other birds,”;; the authors concluded.
“The early diagnosis of the disease and proper adjustment of medication to reduce its severity are critical.”;;
Symptoms of parrot fever tend to be mild and can resemble the flu, with sufferers experiencing fever and chills, headache, muscle aches and dry cough.
But left untreated, the illness can progress to severe pneumonia, inflammation of the heart called endocarditis, hepatitis and even brain swelling, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC).
Prompt antibiotic treatment is needed to avoid complications from psittacosis, the World Health Organisation says.
