According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of cases of a rare bacterial infection called psittacosis — also known as parrot disease — is on the rise in Europe.
The World Health Organization said in a statement earlier this week that five deaths had been reported amid the outbreak, which was first noticed last year and has spread to several European countries, including Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.
Thrush is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a bacterium from the Chlamydia family that infects both wild and domestic animals. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), human transmission of the disease occurs mainly through the inhalation of dust particles from the dried droppings and excrement of infected birds.
Less commonly, birds can infect humans through bites and beak-to-mouth contact. Human-to-human transmission is possible but rare, the CDC says, and there is no evidence that the bacteria that causes parrot fever is spread by preparing or eating poultry.
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Those most at risk of parrot infection are people who work with and come into contact with birds and poultry, including pet owners, poultry workers and veterinarians, as well as aviary and pet store owners. The majority of parrot fever cases documented since 2023 involved exposure to wild and/or domestic birds, the WHO said.
Symptoms of parrot fever include fever and chills, headache, muscle aches and a dry cough, according to the CDC. Most infected people begin to feel symptoms within five to 14 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
Patients with parrot fever are treated with antibiotics and usually make a full recovery. However, some people may experience more severe complications that require hospital treatment, including pneumonia, endocarditis, hepatitis and inflammation of the nerves or brain resulting in neurological problems.
Parrot fever rarely results in death (less than 1 in 100 cases), the CDC says.
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According to the WHO, the affected European countries are undertaking epidemiological investigations to identify potential exposures and clusters of cases. Austria, which usually sees about two cases of parrotfish per year, reported 14 cases in 2023 and an additional four cases in 2023, as of March 4.
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In Denmark, 23 people tested positive for psittacosis by February 27, of whom 15 developed pneumonia and four died. Germany had 19 confirmed cases between January 2023 and February 19, 2024.
Meanwhile, Sweden reported a typically high number of cases – 26 – in late November and early December. Thirteen cases have been reported in the country this year. The Netherlands recorded twice as many cases between the end of December and the end of February as in the same period in previous years, the WHO said.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education