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Nothing to shout about.
A terrifying outbreak of psittacosis, a respiratory bacterial infection known as ‘parrot fever’, has killed at least five people across Europe so far this year.
Four people have died in Denmark, one in the Netherlands and dozens more have been hospitalized in Austria, Germany and Sweden, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The disease is transmitted by birds and is commonly transmitted through contact with infected animals or inhalation of particles from feathers or dried feces.
Pet owners, poultry farmers, gardeners, and veterinarians are usually at higher risk of contracting parrot fever than most people.
Symptoms are usually mild and include fever, aches, and cough. In extreme cases, it can develop into pneumonia.
According to the WHO, about 1 in 100 patients will die.
Across Europe, the number of infections in recent months has been significantly higher than the typical annual average.
Austria typically has two cases per year, but at least 14 were recorded in the last months of 2023, and four as of March 2024.
Denmark typically experiences 15 to 30 cases a year, but as of February 27 it had recorded at least 23 cases, 17 of which resulted in hospitalization.
Since December 2023, the number of infected people in the Netherlands has been twice that of the same period in previous years.
In most of the recent cases, patients have reported exposure to birds, the WHO said, and affected countries have launched investigations to determine the cause of the surge.
Despite the unusual increase, WHO deemed the risk from the current outbreak to be low.
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