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A deadly outbreak of psittacosis, a bacterial infection also known as parrot fever, is affecting people living in several European countries, the World Health Organization announced Tuesday.
The outbreak was first noted in 2023 and continued until early this year. Five deaths have been reported.
Parrot fever is caused by bacteria in the Chlamydiaceae family, which is found in a variety of wild and pet birds and poultry. Infected birds don’t necessarily look sick, but they shed bacteria when they breathe and poop.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, humans commonly contract parrot fever by breathing in dust from the secretions of infected birds. People can also get sick from bird bites or beak-to-mouth contact. This disease is not spread by eating infected animals.
Research shows that human-to-human transmission is possible, but rare. Most recent cases have involved people being exposed to infected domestic or wild birds, the WHO said.
Most people who contract parrot fever start having mild symptoms 5 to 14 days after exposure to a sick bird, which can include headache, muscle aches, dry cough, fever, and chills. This infection can be treated with antibiotics and is rarely fatal to humans.
Austria typically sees two cases each year, but as of March 4, 14 cases have been confirmed in 2023, with four more cases reported this year. These cases were unrelated, and none of them reported international travel or contact with wild birds. .
There are typically 15 to 30 human cases in Denmark each year, most of which result from exposure to hobby birds such as pet birds and racing pigeons.
According to the WHO, there have been 23 confirmed cases of the disease as of February 27, but local public health authorities suspect the number is actually much higher.
Of those infected in Denmark, 17 are hospitalized. Fifteen people suffered from pneumonia and four died.
At least one person in Denmark contracted parrot fever from a pet bird. Twelve of his other 15 cases for which exposure information was available said he had contact with wild birds, primarily through bird feeders. In three of the cases, the patients had no history of contact with birds of any kind.
In Germany, 14 cases of parrot fever were confirmed in 2023, with five more cases occurring this year. Almost all of them had pneumonia, and 16 people were hospitalized.
Of the 19 cases in Germany, five reported exposure to sick pet birds or chickens.
The number of parrot fever cases has been increasing in Sweden since 2017.
An unusually high number of cases, 26, were reported from late November to early December. The number of cases this year is 13, which is lower than the number of cases reported during the same period in the past five years.
The number of infected people is also increasing in the Netherlands, with 21 people infected between late December and February 29, twice the number from the same period last year, the WHO announced. Typically, the country has about nine cases a year.
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In recent cases in the Netherlands, everyone was hospitalized and one person died. Eight people reported no contact with birds, seven reported contact with domestic bird droppings, and six reported contact with wild bird droppings.
WHO said it would continue to monitor the spread of the infection with affected countries.
The group is encouraging doctors to be careful about infectious diseases and warning pet bird owners and workers who frequently come into contact with birds to practice proper hand hygiene.
WHO says bird owners should keep their cages clean and avoid overcrowding.
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